IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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I.I 


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■50    ■^" 

!!!  lift 

£   |i£    12.0 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


^ '^' 


33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WMSTIR.N.Y.  145t0 

(716)172-4503 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  tachniquaa  at  bibiiographiquas 


Tha  Inatituta  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographicaliy  uniqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
raproduction,  or  which  may  aignificantly  changa 
tha  uaual  mathod  of  filming,  aro  chackad  balow. 


la 


D 
D 


D 


Colourad  covara/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


|~~|   Covara  damagad/ 


Couvartura  andommagAa 


□   Covara  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  raataurAa  at/ou  palliculAa 

□   Covar  titia  miaaing/ 
La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


Colourad  mapa/ 

Cartaa  gAographiquaa  un  coulaur 


□   Colourad  (nk  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 

F~|   Colourad  plataa  and/or  illuatrationa/ 


D 


Planchaa  at/ou  illuatrationa  an  coulaur 

Bound  with  othar  material/ 
RaliA  avac  d'autraa  documanta 

Tight  binding  may  causa  shadowa  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr^e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  la  long  da  la  marge  IntArieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appeer  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certeines  pages  blanches  ajoutAes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissant  dans  la  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  Atait  poaaibla.  ces  pagea  n'ont 
pas  At*  filmAes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentairas  supplAmantairas: 


L'Institut  a  microfilmA  la  meilleur  exemplaira 
qu'il  lui  a  AtA  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  dAtaila 
de  cet  exemplaira  qui  aont  paut-Atre  uniquea  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mAthode  normale  de  filmaga 
sont  indiqute  ci-dessous. 


Tl 
tc 


[~n   Coloured  pagea/ 


n 


Pagea  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagAes 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaurtes  at/ou  pailicuiAea 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxet 
Pagea  dAcolorAes,  tachetAes  ou  piquAes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d^tachAes 

Showthrough> 
Tranaparence 

Quality  of  prir 

QualitA  InAgale  de  I'impresslon 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  material  supplAmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  diaponible 


r~~1  Pages  damaged/ 

I — I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

r~~1  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

r~1  Pages  detached/ 

I      I  Showthrough/ 

I     I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I — I  Only  edition  available/ 


Tl 

P< 
o1 

fil 


O 
b4 
th 
si< 
01 
fil 
sii 
01 


Tl 
tt 
Tl 
w 

M 
di 
er 
b« 

"t 
re 
mi 


Pages  wholh  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc..  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  toteiement  ou  partiollement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc..  ont  At6  filmAes  it  nouveeu  de  fa^on  h 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

^4 

22X 

26X 

30X 

^ 

12X 


16X 


20X 


MX 


28X 


32X 


ails 

du 

Klifi«r 

una 

naga 


rata 

9 


alura. 


J 


32X 


Tha  copy  filmad  hara  has  baan  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibiiity 
off  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion.  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copias  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impras- 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illustratad  imprassion. 


Tha  last  racorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


1 

2 

3 

L'exemplaira  film*  fut  reproduit  grice  A  la 
gAnArositA  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Lea  imagas  suivantas  ont  At*  raproduitaa  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin.  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattet«  de  l'exemplaira  ffilm«,  at  un 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmaga. 

Les  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papier  est  imprim*a  sont  filmAs  an  commandant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAre  paga  qui  comporta  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  las  autras  exemplairas 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant  par  la 
pramiAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  darniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ^  signifie  "A  SUiVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
film«s  A  des  taux  da  reduction  diffArants. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  film*  A  partir 
de  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite. 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

'X2.Z  ^ 


Tke  Practical  Guide  to  America's  New  El  Dorado. 


KLONDIKE 
GOLD  FIELDS 

...  BEING  A  ... 

Compendium  of  Reliable  Information 

...  BEARING  UPON  THE  ... 

GOLD  REGIONS  OF  ALASKA. 


A  Book  of  Persona/  Reminiscence,  Adventure  and  Practi- 
cal Instruction  to  the  Intending  Gold  Seeker;  Con- 
taining also  the  Latest  Official  Reports  to  the 
Government,  as  made  by  the  Geological 
Survey,  and  the  Full  Written  Opinion 
of  the  Director  of  the  Mint. 


COMPILED  AND  ARRANGED  BY 

H.    H.    PARAMORE 

<^  

,  r\  ST.  LOUIS,  MO., 

^  SAM'L  F.  MYER80N  PRINTING  CO., 

1897. 


"^ 


COPYBIGHTED  1897, 
Bt  Sah'l  F.  Mtbbson  Pbintino  Co 


Pacific  N.  W.  HtStePy  D^pt 

PROVIIsrCIAL.  LIBRARY 
VICTOniA,  B.  G. 


o 
55 


O 

cu 


Ed 
< 


iVI     /: 

(Hi  I/' 


Ho,  For  The  Kfondiko! 


The  spirit  of  '49  lives  again  I 

Lilse  a  call  to  arms  the  mere  announcement  of  the  rich 
finds  in  the  Yukon  country  has  aroused  the  youth  and 
energy  of  the  land,  and  summons  them  to  enlist  in  the 
fight  for  fortune. 

Later  reports  are  adding  fuel  to  the  flame.  Every 
account  seems  to  verify  the  earlier  rumors,  and  intensifies 
the  desire  to  know  more  of  this  new  El  Dorado,  from 
whence  comes  news  of  fabulous  fortune-making  that  reads 
like  a  series  of  tales  from  the  Arabian  Nights. 

In  answer  to  the  demand  for  complete  and  authentic 
information  concerning  the  district,  this  book  has  been 
carefully  and  conscientiously  compiled  from  every  known 
reliable  source. 

One  Way  to  Go. 

A  representative  of  the  Northwestern  Trading  Com- 
pany thus  describes  the  journey  by  water  from  Seattle  to 
the  heart  of  the  gold  fields : 

Leaving  Seattle  on  a  large  and  well  appointed  steamer, 
which  proceeds  up  Puget  Sound,  passing  Port  Townsend 
and  Victoria  and  out  through  the  Straits  of  San  Juan  Del 
Fuca  to  the  beautiful  Pacific,  where  you  have  an  uninter- 
rupted voyage  on  a  comparatively  smooth  and  placid  ocean 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


of  about  2,000  miles,  to  Dutch  Harbor,  which  is  the  firut 
stop.  Here  we  find  located  a  coaiiug  station  and  stores 
operated  by  the  North  American  Commercial  Company, 
and  it  is  also  the  supply  point  for  the  naval  vessels  and  the 
Bebring  Sea  fleet  of  whalers  and  sealers.  After  a  short 
stop  at  this  place  we  proceed  on  our  way  north  through 
Behring  Sea,  past  the  Seal  Island  of  St.  George  and  St. 
Paul  and  up  through  Norton  Sound  to  Fort  Get  There, 
on  St.  Michaels  Island,  where  is  located  the  transfer  niid 
Jrupply  station  for  the  Yukon  River.  'Here  also  you  will 
iind  a  good  many  natives  or  Esquimaux.  Here  passengers 
and  freight  are  transferred  direct  to  large  and  commodious 
river  steamers,  which  then  proceed  down  the  coast  sixty 
miles  to  the  north  mouth  of  the  great  Yukon,  a  river 
larger  than  the  Mississippi,  that  can  be  navigated  with 
large  steamers  2,300  miles  without  a  break,  and  which 
abounds  in  fish,  the  salmon  being  noted  far  and  wide  for 
their  fine  flavor  and  large  size,  and  no  one  knows  better 
than  our  steamboat  cooks  how  to  prepare  this  excellent 
fish  in  the  most  appetizing  manner. 

As  you  proceed  up  the  river  you  will  see  innumerable 
Indian  villages  and  small  settlements,  inhabited  by  traders, 
missionaries  and  Indians,  all  of  which  are  of  interest  to  the 
traveler  in  a  new  and  until  lately  a  comparatively  unknown 
territory.  The  first  two  or  three  hundred  miles  is  through 
a  low,  flat  country,  after  which  the  mountainous  country 
is  reached,  and  the  constant  change  of  magnificent  scenery, 
as  you  proceed  up  the  river,  is  beyond  description,  as 
nowhere  on  the  American  continent  is  there  anything  to 
equal  it. 

At  Old  Fort  Yukon,  which  is  iis^ide  of  the  Arctic  Cir- 
cle, you  will  see,  during  the  mo  iths  o!  June  and  July,  the 
sun  for  twenty-four  hours  without  a  ;)reak,  and  all  along 
the  river  during  these  months  you  can  read  a  book  or 
paper  at  any  time  during  the  day  or  night  without  a  lamp, 
as  i,t  is  continuous  daylight  during  this  time. 


■  I 


the  first 
nd  stores 
C!ompauy, 
Is  and  the 
r  a  short 
I  through 
3  and  St. 
Jt  There, 
isfer  niid 

you  will 
assengers 
nmodious 
)ast  sixty 
1,  a  river 
ited  with 
nd  which 

wide  for 
W8  better 

excellent 

Lumerable 
y  traders, 
:est  to  the 
unknown 
8  through 
8  country 
t  scenery, 
iption,  as 
lathing  to 

rctic  Cir- 
July,  the 
all  along 
book  or 
t  a  lamp, 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


After  leaving  here  the  next  point  of  interest  is  Circle 
City,  the  metropolis  of  the  Yukon  country.  Hero  you  find 
a  large  frontier  town,  the  houses  all  built  of  logs,  and 
while  they  have  no  pretentions  to  beauty,  they  are  warm 
and  comfortable.  Circle  City  has  a  population  of  nearly 
two  thousand  peoj n,  and  some  of  the  best  placer  mines  in 
the  country  are  locKted  near  this  place,  and  prospects  are 
that  this  will!  '  one  of  the  best  placer  mining  camps  on 
the  American  continent;  as  it  is  steadily  increasing  in 
population,  and  lac  miners  and  prospectors  are  continually 
finding  new  and  richer  placer  ground,  and  as  the  country 
around  here  has  been  comparatively  little  prospected,  we 
look  for  a  big  increase  in  population  and  in  the  amount 
of  gold  taken  out. 

From  here  you  proceed  on  up  the  river  for  two  hundred 
and  forty  miles  further,  where  you  find  Fort  Cud&hy,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  celebrated  Forty-Mile  Creek.  Here  is  a 
thriving  town,  very  similar  to  Circle  City,  but  not  as  large. 
This  is  the  supply  point  for  the  mines  in  the  Forty-Mile 
district.  This  district  has  been  a  very  prosperous  one  for 
the  last  four  years  and  has  turned  out  a  great  quantity  of 
gold,  this  being  the  first  important  district  where  coarse 
gold  was  discovered. 


Twelve  Times  the  Size  of  New  Yoric  State. 

The  name  "Alaska"  is  a  corruption  of  Al-ay-ek-sa, 
the  name  given  by  the  native  Islanders  to  the  mainland, 
and  signifies  "great  country."  It  contains  nearly  600,000 
square  miles  of  territory,  or  is  nearly  one-fifth  us  large  as 
all  the  other  states  and  territories  combined.  It  is  larger 
than  twelve  states  the  size  of  New  York. 

There  are  probably  few  people  on  the  Pacific  slope,  or 
elsewhere  for  that  matter,  aware  of  the  fact  that  San  Fran- 
cisco is  several  hundred  miles  east  of  midway  between  the 
eastern  and  westernmost  shores  of  the  United  States ;  yet 


6 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


such  is  the  case.  It  is  Dearly  4,000  miles  from  the  longi- 
tude of  the  most  western  of  the  Aleutian  Islands  directly 
east  to  San  Francisco,  while  it  is  not  over  about  3,500 
miles  from  San  Francisco  directly  east  to  the  longitude  of 
the  east  coast  of  Maine. 

How,  When  and  Where  to  Go. 

Perhaps  no  better  instructions  for  reaching  the  Yukon 
gold  fields,  and  for  equipping  one*'s  self  for  the  journey, 
can  be  given  than  by  quoting  from  the  reports  made  by 
miners  lately  returned.  The  stories  told  by  these  men 
vary  only  in  detail.  In  substance  they  corroborate  each 
other,  and  what  they  have  to  say  may  in  almost  every  in- 
stance be  accepted  as  literally  true. 


OVER  CHILKAT  PASS. 


Graphic  Description  of  the  Overland  Route,  as  Told 

by  Alex.  Wilson. 


A  well-known  citizen  of  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Alex.  G.  Wil- 
son, recently  wrote  to  his  family  an  interesting  detailed 
description  of  a  trip  to  the  gold  fields  by  what  is  commonly 
called  the  "overland  route,"  by  way  of  Chllkat  Pass  and 
Lake  Bennett  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Yukon.  Following 
is  Mr.  Wilson's  letter  in  full : 

Dawson,  on  the  Yukon,  Mouth  of  the  Klondike 
River,  Northwest  Territory,  Alaska, 

June  4,  1897. 

Dear  Folks : — Here  I  am  at  last  at  what  is  called,  and 

truly  so,  the  greatest  gold  camp  the  world  has  ever  known. 

We  arrived   here  from  Dyea  after  seventy  days  of  the 

hardest  travel  I  ever  experienced.     I  presume  you  got  my 

last  letter,  dated  at  Sheep's  Head  Camp.     Well,  the  next 

day  we  broke  camp  and  started  over  the  summit — Chilkat 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


;he  loDgi- 
directly 
3ut  3,500 
ntude  of 


le  Yukon 
journey, 
tnade  by 
lese  men 
ate  each 
jvery  in- 


as  Told 


G.  Wil- 
detailed 
>mmonly 
*ass  and 
allowing 

T'dike 

$97. 
led,  and 
known, 
of  the 
got  my 
le  next 
Ghilkat 


Pass.  We  had  all  our  provisions  in  cache  there,  after  a 
week's  packing  of  fifty-pound  bundles  through  the  pass. 
We  loaded  everything  on  three  sleds  and  turned  them 
loose  after  pointing  them  in  the  right  direction,  and  you 
ought  to  have  seen  them  fly  down  the  three-mile  declivity. 

Nature's  Toboggan  Slide. 

A  mile  a  minute  was  nothing.  They  landed  all  safe, 
however,  at  the  bottom  on  the  Yukon  side.  Then  we  fol- 
lowed, sliding  and  tumbling  after.  In  going  down,  how- 
ever, one  of  my  partners  was  nearly  killed.  Gibbons,  who 
was  half  way  down  the  mountain  side,  was  struck  by  the 
last  sleigh  we  let  go  and  knocked  about  fifty  feet.  I 
thought  we  would  have  to  bury  him  there  where  we  picked 
him  up,  but  he  was  simply  stunned,  and  after  a  half  hour's 
rubbing  and  frequent  doses  of  whisky  he  revived  and  was 
able  to  continue  the  journey.  It  was  lucky  it  was  the 
light  sled  that  struck  him,  or  there  would  have  been  only 
two  of  us  to  float  down  the  mighty  Yukon. 

Through  the  Snow  Crust. 

Well,  we  crossed  Lake  Lindermann  on  the  ice  all  right 
at  foot  of  the  mountains,  and  got  safely  to  the  head  of  Lake 
Bennett  (twenty-six  miles  long),  April  6.  By  this  time  the 
weather  was  getting  warmer  and  the  snow  melting.  The 
snow-crust  on  the  lake  would  support  the  sleds,  but  we 
broke  through  at  every  step,  and  as  there  was  about  a  foot 
of  slush  under  the  crust,  those  twenty-six  miles  looked 
mighty  big  to  us.  After  wading  this  way  for  two  days, 
and  having  traversed  but  four  miles,  I  informed  the  boys 
I  had  had  enough  of  it,  so  we  went  into  camp  to  wait  for  a 
cold  snap  or  more  of  a  thaw  to  break  up  the  ice. 

Building  the  Boat. 

We  lay  in  camp  three  days,  and  then  there  came  a  cold 
spell,  the  wind  blowing  a  gale.     We  broke  camp  once  and 


8 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


j  I 


hoisted  sails  on  our  sleds,  but  while  we  didn't  have  to  pull 
a  pound  we  were  compelled  to  walk  by  the  side  of  our  sleds 
in  order  to  guide  them.  Well,  we  made  the  other  twenty- 
two  miles  easily  enough  that  day.  We  next  crossed  Two- 
Mile  River  on  to  Lake  Tigsh  (thirteen  miles  long),  which 
we  got  over  in  four  days ;  then  came  Six-Mile  River,  the 
first  open  water  we  had  seen  on  the  trip,  on  whose  banks 
we  pulled  our  sleighs  for  two  days  till  we  came  to  Marsh 
Lake  (twenty-two  miles  long). 

When  we  struck  the  lake  this  weather  had  become 
warm  again,  and  it  took  us  three  days  to  make  seven 
miles  through  eight  inches  of  slush;  so  we  waded  into  a 
good  patch  of  timber  and  remained  there  fourteen  days, 
building  a  boat.  It  took  us  six  days  to  fell  the  trees  and 
saw  the  boards  out.  We  made  a  splendid  boat,  for  your 
humble  servant  had  not  forgotten  how  to  handle  the  tools, 
with  which  we  were  well  equipped.  We  had  a  nice  camp — 
one  tent  to  cook  in  and  one  to  sleep  in.  Altogether,  we 
enjoyed  our  fourteen  days'  respite  from  travel  while  build- 
ing our  ark,  and  Gibbons  essayed  a  few  times  to  fetch  in 
some  fresh  moose  meat,  but  always  came  back  with  a  hard- 
luck  story. 

Drifting  Down  the  Yulcon. 

By  this  time  all  the  snow  had  melted  and  drained  off 
the  ice  of  the  lake,  so  that  we  had  no  trouble  in  going  the 
ten  miles  to  open  water,  which  took  Us  a  day  and  a  half.   . 
We  put  the  boat  on  two  sleighs  and  our  provisions  in  it. 

When  we  got  to  the  great  Yukon,  we  launched  our 
little  craft  (after  emptying  it  of  our  goods,  though,  you 
may  be  sure)  and  tried  her  in  the  swift  current  of  the 
mighty  river  (a  river  as  large  as  the  Mississippi)  and  founu 
she  would  answer  our  purpose  very  well  after  a  little  more 
oiling  and  plugging. 

After  dinner  we  loaded  her  with  our  outfit  and  started 
on  our  long  journey  down  the  Yukon  with  Chris  steering 


y 


ve  to  pull 
our  sleds 
?r  tvventy- 
sed  Two- 
),  which 
iiver,  the 
3se  banks 
to  Marsh 

d  become 
ke  seven 
ed  into  a 
een  days, 
trees  and 
for  your 
the  tools, 
e  camp — 
ether,  we 
ile  build- 
fetch  in 
th  a  hard- 


ained  off 
[oing  the 
i  a  half. 
i  in  it. 
3hed  our 
igh,  you 
:  of  the 
nd  founu 
tie  more 

i  started 
steering 


■ 


< 
< 

O 
H 


O 

Ui 

D 

>^ 

(d 
U 

U 

oi 

(d 

IS 
O 


U 

Q 

.J 

O 

u 

< 

Dm 


■'f 


EP :..,;.,-(      I  i 


\ 


■V 


\u 


.itssm 


. 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


and  Gibbons  and  I  at  the  oars.  We  hadn't  gone  five  miles 
when  Chris  stuck  us  on  a  sand  bar  and  we  had  to  ^et  out 
and  drag  her  off.  Chris,  who  has  been  a  sailor,  may  be 
all  right  on  the  '*briny  deep,"  but  as  a  river  pilot  he  is 
*'N.  G.,"  for  we  had  hardly  got  off  the  bar  when  he  ran  us 
into  some  fallen  trees  and  bowlders,  nearly  capsizing  the 
boat  and  wetting  some  of  our  grub.  As  I  had  the  most  to 
lose,  I  took  the  steering  paddle  and  kept  it  all  the  way 


through. 


The  Rapids  of  Miller's  Canyon. 


The  next  day  we  came  to  a  canyon  called  ''Miller's  Can- 
yon," the  most  dangerous  place  on  the  river,  and  where 
many  a  party  have  lost  all  they  had,  and  their  lives,  too. 
It  is  as  deep  a  cut  through  the  mountain  range  as  the 
Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado,  perpendicular  walls  on 
each  side  200  feet  high,  a  mile  long.  The  water  rushes 
through  with  frightful  speed  and  boils  and  bubblos  like 
the  rapids  below  Niagara.  There  is  a  long,  devious  way 
around  the  canyon  by  land,  which  requires  four  days'  hard 
work  to  get  over,  while  to  shoot  the  canyon  only  takes  two 
and  one-half  minutes. 

Well,  we  halted  at  the  danger  line,  a  half  mile  above 
the  canyon,  and  walked  down  to  take  a  look  at  it.  I  asked 
the  boys  what  they  thought  of  it.  Gibbons  wanted  to 
pack  around  it.  Chris  suggested  that  the  sleds,  bedding 
and  some  of  the  grub  bags  be  taken  out  and  he  thought 
we  might  make  it,  and  if  we  lost  the  boat  we  would  have 
something  left.  I  called  his  attention  to  the  possible  fact 
that  if  we  lost  the  boat  we  would  also  lose  our  lives  and  be 
independent  of  both  grub  and  bl mkets,  for  no  swimmer 
could  live  in  that  torrent.  My  suggestion  was  to  reload 
the  boat  and  put  all  the  heavy  stuff  in  the  stern,  so  as  to 
thi'ow  the  bow  up  and  ride  the  waves  better,  and  to  take 
nothing  out;  Gibbons  to  walk  around,  for  one  man  at 
the  oars  and  another  to  steer  was  enough ;  besides,  Gibbons, 


w 


I        ' :     I 


10 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


with  what  grub  he  could  carry,  might  be  needed  to  report 
us  in  case  of  failure. 

How  He  Shot  the  Rapids. 

Well,  my  plan  was  decided  upon  and  we  went  back  to 
the  boat  feeling  mighty  queer  and  solemn,  and  Gibbons 
very  blue.  On  our  way  back  we  met  a  party  of  men  packing 
around  the  canyon,  and  they  asked  us  what  we  intended  to 
do.  When  we  replied  we  would  **  shoot  her,"  they  tried 
to  dissuade  us,  but  we  had  had  enough  of  packing  and 
dragging,  and  Chris  and  I  were  willing  to  take  chances  to 
escape  any  more  of  it. 

Well,  we  got  everything  fixed,  and  shoved  off,  with 
Chris  at  the  oars  and  myself  steering.  We  dropped 
leisurely  down  the  bank  to  within  100  yards  of  the  canyon, 
and  then  Chris  pulled  out  to  the  center  with  all  his  might 
and  main  to  get  a  fair  start  at  the  canyon's  mouth,  and 
the  last  thing  I  saw  before  entering  the  canyon  was  Gib- 
bons running  as  hard  as  he  could  up  the  mountain  side  so 
he  could  keep  us  in  sight. 

So  soon  as  the  boat  entered  the  canyon  she  seemed  to 
shiver,  and  then  plunged  head-foremost  into  the  first  wave, 
and  about  a  half  a  barrel  of  water  came  over  the  bow ; 
then  she  straightened  out  and  rode  through  the  rapids 
without  shipping  a  drop  more  of  water,  and  we  had  no 
trouble  in  keeping  her  head  with  the  current.  After  we 
hit  the  first  wave  I  knew  we  were  safe,  for  I  had  perfect 
control  of  the  boat;  then  I  enjoyed  the  ride,  short  as  it 
was ;  it  was  like  coasting  down  hill  on  a  sled.  The  canyon, 
like  a  great  many  other  things,  looked  dangerous  until  you 
'tackled  it,  and  then  it  seemed  easy. 

Sailing  Sleds  on  a  Glassy  Lake. 

Along  in  the  evening  Gibbons  hove  into  sight,  then 
we  continued  on  down  the  river  to  Lake  Labarge,  thirty- 
five  miles.     There  our  boat  riding  ended  for  the  present. 


jB^aOH 


1. 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


11 


ed  to  report 


rent  back  to 
id  Gibbons 
len  packing 
intended  to 
'  they  tried 
acking  and 
chances  to 

d  off,  with 
'^e  dropped 
the  canyon, 
1  his  might 
mouth,  and 
Q  was  Gib- 
tain  side  so 

i  seemed  to 
1  first  wave, 
r  the  bow ; 
the  rapids 
we  had  no 
After  we 
lad  perfect 
short  as  it 
he  canyon, 
8  until  you 


light,  then 
ge,  thirty- 
le  present, 


the  lake  being  still  frozen  solid.  This  lake  Is  thirty  miles 
long.  We  arrived  at  Lake  Labarge,  May  10th.  The  ice  was 
smooth  as  glass,  so  Chris  rigged  up  two  sails  on  the  boat 
(which  we  had  deposited  on  two  sleds),  while  I  put  my 
wits  to  work  to  devise  a  means  of  steering  her  so  we  could 
ride.  I  made  a  bolster,  like  that  used  on  the  front  of  a 
wagon,  and  put  it  on  the  forward  sled;  then  a  tongue; 
then  a  lever  from  the  tongue  to  the  boat.  Then  we  waited 
for  favorable  winds,  which  materialized  the  next  morning. 
In  the  meantime  three  outfits  went  by  us  using  dogs  to 
drag  their  sleds. 

Back  to  the  Friendly  Yukon. 

After  we  got  started,  with  the  sailor  at  the  ropes  and 
myself  at  the  tiller.  Gibbons  on  the  lookout,  we  soon  caught 
up  to  the  other  outfits  and  went  past  them  like  thorough- 
breds, everybody  shouting  and  waving  their  bats.  But 
our  pride  soon  had  a  fall ;  for  we  had  scarcely  got  out  of 
sight  of  the  other  fellows  when  we  struck  a  side  wind,  and 
before  Chris  could  let  go  his  rope  we  went  head  over  heels, 
spilling  everything  out  of  the  boat,  damaging  the  provisions 
some  and  straining  the  boat  pretty  badly.  After  gathering 
up  our  scattered  effects  we  got  started  again,  and  reached 
open  water  at  the  end  of  the  lake,  leaving  the  other  outfits 
so  far  behind  that  they  never  caught  up  to  us.  The  next 
day  we  spent  in  rer^airing  our  craft,  and  then  once  more 
launched  her  into  the  friendly  Yokon,  thankful  that  the 
worst  of  our  trip  was  over,  for  we  had  no  more  lakes  to 
cross,  and  floated  calmly  down  the  river  to  Klondike,  a 
dista.^ce  of  400  miles  from  the  last  lake.  We  floated  the 
400  miles  in  eight  days. 

In  the  Diggings  At  Last. 

This  is  a  great  camp,  and  a  conservative  estimate  of  its 
richness  sounds  like  exaggeration.  I  have  been  here  now 
twelve  days  and  cannot  get  a  hold  of  anything.   Cannot  even 


l&vSS 


^ 


12 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


!!".|^ 


ii 


buy  a  foot  of  ground  in  the  town,  not  to  mention  the  diggings, 
values  are  so  extremely  high.  Every  foot  of  ground  in 
this  district  is  claimed,  and  there  are  hundreds  of  pros- 
pectors in  the  adjacant  country  looking  for  other  rich 
ground.  The  gravel  must  be  very  rich  in  gold  or  nobody 
wants  it.  From  the  amount  of  gold  dust  and  nuggets  I 
have  seen  in  Klondike,  and  the  mad  hunt  for  it,  the  district 
must  be  all  they  claim  for  it.  Both  of  my  partners  have 
left  me  and  gone  to  Circle  City  to  get  work,  for  there  is 
no  work  here  on  the  Klondike  to  amount  to  anything  till 
the  fall,  when  they  will  work  all  the  men  they  can  get,  for 
these  are  winter  diggings,  while  Circle  City  is  worked  in 
the  summer. 

First  ^;^ob  at  $15  a  Day. 

At  Circle  City  wages  are  $10  to  $12  a  day,  while  here 
on  the  Klondike  wages  are  $15  a  day  for  all  kinds  of  labor. 
I  have  been  at  work  seven  days  for  a  saloon  man,  making 
round  poker  tables,  faro  and  crap  tables.  He  pays  me  $15 
a  day  and  grub.  It  looks  big,  but  when  you  take  into 
consideration  the  cost  and  hardship  in  getting  here  it  isn't 
so  much.  They  pay  principally  in  gold  dust  at  $16  an 
ounce. 

A  Clever  Deal  in  Provisions. 

I  sold  part  of  my  stock  of  provisions.  You  remember 
I  brought  with  me  a  full  year's  supply,  and  as  I  intend  to 
return  home  in  the  fall  I  retained  but  enough  to  last  me. 
I  have  made  enough  on  the  provisions  I  sold  to  pay  all  my 
expenses  in  getting  here  and  also  my  return  home.  Even 
if  I  am  not  lucky  enough  to  strike  it  rich  (and  I  have  great 
hopes  of  success)  I  cannot  lose. 

I  sold  one  gallon  of  whisky  that  cost  me,  in  Seattle,  $8, 
for  $25.  Bacon  that  cost  me  lie  I  sold  for  75c  per  pound. 
I  sold  a  150-pound  sack  of  flour  for  $30 ;  tea  that  cost  me 
25c  per  pound  for  $2  per  pound.  Sugar  I  sold  for  60c per 
pound.     One  suit  of  underwear  I  sold  for  $12;  a  pick  that 


s. 


the  diggings, 
f  ground  in 
eds  of  pros- 
other  rich 
Id  or  nobody 
nd  nuggets  I 
t,  the  district 
irtners  have 
,  for  there  is 
anything  till 
can  get,  for 
is  worked  in 


',  while  here 
ids  of  labor, 
man,  making 
pays  me  $15 
)u  take  into 
here  it  isn't 
t  at  $16  an 


>u  remember 
I  intend  to 
to  last  me. 
)  pay  all  my 
ome.  Even 
I  have  greait 

I  Seattle,  $8, 
c per  pound, 
hat  cost  me 
1  for  60c  per 
a  pick  that 


;■• .-  -.tn  T^w  ■5*'!  ^3^) 


*■.' 


.*#•■ 


S5 

o 

Ui 

s 

Id 

s 

H 

P 


o 
o 


94 


h 
O 

oi 

< 

oi 
a 
S 
< 
u 
h 
c/3 


;i         ;    ! 


Mil 


,'-.:. my.. 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


13 


cost  me  $1.50  I  sold  for  $9.  All  of  these  goods  I  could 
easily  spare  and  would  have  no  use  for.  If  I  had  only 
knowp,  I  would  have  brought  in  $1,000  or  so  worth  of 
goods.  If  I  go  out  this  fall  I  will  come  back  next  spring 
with  a  big  stock  of  goods  to  sell,  as  I  now  know  the  **ropes" 
and  will  be  able  to  make  the  next  trip  easier. 

No  Danger  of  Starvation. 

The  stock  I  have  saved  for  my  own  use  consists  of 
125  pounds  of  flour,  40  pounds  cornmeal,  4  pounds  tea,  35 
pounds  apricots  (canned),  which  are  worth  their  weight  in 
gold  almost,  judging  by  the  longing  looks  cast  at  them  and 
which  I  set  aside  as  not  for  sale;  10  pounds  dried  apples, 
3  pounds  baking  powder,  8  cans  condensed  milk,  50  pounds 
beans,  35  pounds  sugar,  50  pounds  bacon,  7  pounds  salt, 
20  pounds  dried  potatoes,  5  pounds  dried  onions,  25 
pounds  oatmeal — so  you  will  see  I  won't  starve  this  sum- 
mer; in  fact,  this  is  luxur'/^us  chuck  for  this  country. 

"This  Country  is  Teeming  Witii  Goid." 

I  am  not  going  to  work  for  wages  but  for  a  very  short 
time.  I  intend  to  do  a  lot  of  prospecting  on  my  own 
hook  as  soon  as  the  conditions  are  more  favorable,  for  this 
country  is  teeming  with  gold ;  but  if  I  were  to  tell  you  all 
the  stories  of  fabul6usly  rich  claims,  etc.,  since  being 
here,  you  would  not  believe  them.  I  have  to  doubt  some 
of  them  myself.  There  are  about  2,500  people  here  now, 
and  more  coming  in  every  day.  About  1,500  wintered 
here  last  year.  Don't  think  I  would  like  to  winter  here 
unless  it  paid  big. 

Letters,  $1.00  Eacli. 

This  letter,  among  hundreds  of  others,  is  going  out 
by  special  carrier,  who  charges  one  dollar  per  letter.  You 
may  write  me  here.  Address  Dawson,  Klondike  River 
and  Yukon,  Alaska,  Northwest  Territory. 

Alex.  G.  Wilson. 


14 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


SAID  GOOD-BYE  TO  HIS  PICK. 


Story  of  William  Stanley,  Who  Brought  Out  $112,000. 


When  we  had  taken  out  the  last  of  the  $112,000  I 
threw  down  my  pick  and,  turning  my  eyes  heavenward, 
said:  *♦  Good-bye,  old  friend,  I  will  never  pick  you  up 
again,"  and  I  spoke  the  truth.  ' 

I  love  gold  and  I  have  it.  Mnny  times  in  my  life  the 
wolf  has  been  close  to  the  door.  Now  I  have  riches  and 
will  never  work  again,  but  in  March  I  will  go  oack  and 
manage  our  properties. 

These  were  the  words  which  William  Stanley  used  in 
closing  an  interview. ^Stanley  is  one  of  the  fortunate  ones 
who  returned  from  the  Klondike  on  the  Portland.  In  ad- 
dition to  his  present  fortune  he  is  interested  with  his  son 
and  two  New  Yorkers  in  claims  which  he  says  will  yield 
$2,000,000. 


Was  a  Poor  Man  at  Seattle. 


Stanley  is  a  married  man.  He  lives  in  an  humble 
little  place  in  the  southern  part  of  Seattle ;  he  has  a  wife 
and  several  children.  During  his  absence  in  the  far  North 
his  family  struggled  to  eke  out  an  existence,  for  every- 
thing that  Stanley  had  went  to  pay  his  expenses  to  the 
gold  fields.  Stanley  is  well  on  in  years.  His  hair  is  gray 
and  when  he  left  Seattle  he  looked  as  though  a  few 
more  years  would  find  him  sleeping  beneath  the  sod.  He 
was  iQot  accustomed  to  hardships ;  for  years  he  conducted 
a  little  book  store  in  an  out-of-the-way  business  corner. 

To-day  people  who  used  to  help  him  out  by  giving 
him  ten  or  fifteen  cents  cannot  realize  that  he  is  wealthy. 
Her?  is  his  story : 


ill 


1  Hi 


>8. 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


15 


PK. 

ut  $112,000. 

R  $112,000  I 
heavenward, 
pick  you  up 

Q  my  life  the 
e  riches  and 
go  ottck   and 

nley  used  in 
)rtunate  ones 
and.  In  ad- 
with  his  son 
ys  will  yield 


an  humble 
has  a  wife 
he  far  North 
,  for  every- 
mses  to  the 
hair  is  gray 
ough  a  few 
le  sod.     He 
B  conducted 
s  corner. 
>  by  giving 
is  wealthy. 


Went  at  a  *' Tenderfoot." 

I  went  to  Yukon  as  a  last  resort.  I  was  getting  old 
and  I  had  no  money  and  1  knew  that  I  would  never  get 
any  unless  I  took  it  out  of  the  ground.  It  was  a  year  ago 
last  March  that  I  left  Seattle.  I  am  free  to  confess  that 
my  family  was  at  that  time  in  destitute  circumstances.  I 
made  for  the  Yukon.  T  had  never  before  been  there.  I 
knew  nothing  of  mining;  and  nothing  of  the  hardships  of 
the  country,  and,  in  fact,  was  as  great  a  **greeny"  as  ever 
set  foot  in  the  gi>  at  gold  country  of  the  Northwest.  My 
son,  Samuel  Stanley,  went  with  me.  He  was  as  ignorant 
as  his  father. 

While  we  were  on  the  steamship  Alki,  which  took  us 
to  Dyea,  we  met  two  young  men,  Charles  and  George 
Worden.  They  were  residents  of  Sackett's  Harbor,  N.  Y., 
and  had  come  west  in  search  of  gold.  Their  mother  lives 
back  in  the  old  home,  so  they  informed  me.  We  became 
very  iqtimate  with  the  Wordens.  They  knew  little,  if  any- 
thing, about  the  country,  and  one  day  in  conversation  one 
of  us  suggested  that  we  form  a  company  and  do  our  work 
on  the  syndicate  plan,  each  man  to  share  share  and  share 
alike.  We  wandered  through  the  Yukon  districts  for 
several  months  and  were  getting  discouraged,  because 
there  seemed  to  be  nothing  for  us.  We  met  other  men 
who  were  getting  rich,  but  we  grew  poorer  as  the  days 
came  and  went.     Once  we  had  about  concluded  to  go  back. 

Gets  a  Friendly  Tip. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  last  September  that  we 
befriended  a  man  who  gave  us  a  tip  as  to  the  riches  of  the 
Klondike.  We  were  willing  to  believe  anything,  and  made 
for  the  Klondike  at  once.  •  At  that  time  we  were  en  route 
for  Forty-Mile  Creek.     We  were  then  at  Sixty-Mile. 

The  first  thing  we  did  when  we  reached  the  Klondike 
was  to  spend  a  little  time  at  the  mouth  of  the  stream.    We 


I     ;  I 


ii    fi 


Mh  ! 


16 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


were  there  just  twenty-four  hours  when  the  little  steamer 
Ellis  arrived,  with  150  miners  aboard.  They  had  just  heard 
the  good  news  and  on  their  arrival  they  made  a  rush  for 
the  richest  spot  on  Bonanza  and  El  Dorado  Creeks. 

$112,000  in  Three  Months. 

We  went  to  EI  Dorado  Creek  and  made  locations  on 
what  were  called  Claims  Twenty-five,  Twenty-six,  Fifty- 
three  and  Fifty-four.  I  think  it  was  in  October  that  we 
made  our  locations.  We  worked  Claims  Twenty-five  and 
Twenty-six,  and  were  very  soon  satisfied  that  we  had  a  fine 
thing,  and  went  to  work  to  make  preparations  for  a  long 
winter  of  experiences  and  hardships.  We  got  all  we 
wanted  before  spring.  Every  man  put  in  his  time  sinking 
prospect  holes  in  the  gulch. 

I  tell  the  simple  truth  ^then  I  say  that,  within  three 
months  we  took  from  the  two  claims  the  sum  of  $112,000. 
A  remarkable  thing  about  our  findings  is  that  in  taking 
this  enormous  sum  we  did  not  drift  up  and  down  stream, 
nor  did  we  cross-cut  the  pay  streaks. 

<  Gold  in  Every  Creek. 

Of  course,  we  may  be  wrong,  but  this  is  the  way  we 
are  figuring,  and  we  are  so  certain  that  what  we  say  is  true 
that  we  would  not  sell  out  for  a  million.  In  our  judgment, 
based  on  close  figuring,  there  are  in  the  two  claims  we 
worked,  and  Claims  No.  53  and  54,  $1,000  to  the  lineal 
foot.  I  say  that,  in  four  claims  we  have  at  the  very 
least  $2,000,000,  which  can  be  taken  out  without  any  great 
work. 

I  want  to  say  that  I  believe  there  is  gold  in  every 
creek  in  Alaska.  Certainly  on  the  Klondike  the  claims  are 
not  spotted.  One  seems  to  be  as  good  as  another.  It's 
yards  wide  and  yards  deep.  I  say  so  because  I  have  been 
there  and  have  the  gold  to  show  for  it.     All  you  have  to 


jUa 


iDS. 


little  steamer 
had  just  heard 
le  a  rush   for 
reeks. 


e  locations  on 
ity-six,  Fifty- 
ober  that  we 
venty-five  and 
'<  we  had  a  fine 
ns  for  a  long 
e  got  all  we 
s  time  sinking 


within  three 
1  of  $112,000. 
hat  in  taking 
down  stream, 


}  the  way  we 
we  say  is  true 
our  judgment, 
vo  claims  we 
to  the  lineal 
3  at  the  very 
lout  any  great 

^old  in  every 
the  claims  are 
mother.  It's 
le  I  have  been 
you  have  to 


< 

< 
< 

< 

3 


Q 

< 

a 

7) 
I— ( 

U3 
< 

o 

O 

Q 

c/T 
u 


ai 

H 


li 


i:  III]  ': 


I  i! 


»i 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields.  17 


do  is  to  run  a  hole  down,  and  there  you  find  plenty  of  gold 
dust.  I  will  say  that  our  pans  on  the  El  Dorado  claims 
will  average  $3,  some  go  as  high  as  $150,  and,  believe  me, 
when  I  say  that,  in  five  pans,  I  have  taken  out  as  high  as 
$750  and  sometimes  more.  I  did  not  pick  the  pans,  but 
simply  put  them  against  my  breast  and  scooped  the  dirt 
off  the  bed  rock. 

Bear  Gulch  as  Rich  as  Klondike. 

Of  course  the  majority  of  those  on  the  Klondike  have 
done  m,uch  more  figuring  as  to  the  amount  of  gold  the 
Klondike  will  yield.  Many  times  we  fellows  figured  on 
the  prospects  of  the  El  Dorado.  I  woujd  not  hesitate  much 
about  guaranteeing  $21,000,000,  and  should  not  be  sur- 
prised a  bit  if  $25,000,000,  or  even  $30,000,000,  were 
taken  out. 

Some  people  will  tell  you  that  the  Klondike  is  a  mar- 
vel, and  there  w^ill  never  be  a  disco verv  in  Alaska  which 
will  compare  with  it.  I  think  that  there  will  be  a  number 
of  new  creeks  discovered  thut  will  make  wonderful  yields. 
Why,  Bear  Gulch  is  just  like  El  Dorado.  Bear  Gulch  has 
a  double  bed  rock.  Many  do  not  know  it,  but  it's  a  fact, 
and  miners  who-  are  acquainted  with  it  will  tell  you  the 
same  thing. 

The  bed  rocks  are  three  feet  apart.  In  the  lower  beds 
the  gold  is  as  black  as  a  black  cat,  and  in  the  upper  bed 
the  gold  is  as  bright  as  any  you  ever  saw.  We  own  No. 
10  claim,  below  Discovery,  of  Bear  Gulch,  and  also  Nos. 
20  and  21  on  Last  Chance  Gulch,  above  Discovery.  We 
prospected  for  three  miles  on  Last  Chance  Gulch,  and 
could  not  tell  the  best  place  to  locate  the  Discovery  claim. 
The  nian  making  a  discovery  of  the  creek  is  entitled  by 
law  to  stake  a  claim  and  take  an  adjoining  one,  or,  in  other 
words,  two  claims ;  so  you  see  ho  wants  to  get  in  a  good 
location  on  the  creek  or  gulch.     Hunker  Gulch  is  highly 


'If  nmi 


n 


iipiimil' 


18 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


1 

i 

:  ! 

^  •    1 

1 

looked  to.  I  think  it  will  prove  another  great  district,  and 
some  great  strikes  haye  also  been  made  on  Dominion 
Creek.     Indian  Creek  is  also  becoming  famous. 


What  Do  We  Do  with  the  Money. 

What  are  we  doing  with  all  the  money  we  take  out? 

Well,  we  paid  $45,000  spot  cash  for  a  half  interest  in 
Claim  32,  El  Dorado.  We  also  loaned  $5,000  each  to  four 
parties  on  El  Dorado  Creek,  taking  mortgages  on  their 
claims,  so  you  see  we  are  well  secured. 

No,  I  do  not  want  any  better  security  for  my  money 
than  El  Dorado  claitns,  thank  you.  I  ouly  wish  I  had  a 
mortgage  on  the  whole  creek. 

We  had  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  securing  labor  in 
prospecting  our  properties.  Old  miners  would  not  work 
for  any  price.  We  could  occasionally  "rope"  in  a  greenhorn 
and  get  him  to  work  for  a  few  days  at  $15  a  day.  Six  or 
eight  miners  worked  on  shares  for  us  about  six  weeks,  and 
we  settled.  It  developed  that  they  had  earned  in  that 
length  of  time  $3,500  each.  That  was  pretty  good  pay, 
wasn't  it?  W^e  paid  one  old  miner  $12  for  three  hours' 
work  and  offered  to  continue  him  at  that  rate,  but  he 
would  not  have  it,  and  he  went  out  to  hunt  a  claim  of  his 
own.  My  son,  Samuel,  and  Charles  Worden  are  in  charge 
of  our  interests  in  Alaska.  George  W^orden  and  I  came 
out  and  we  will  go  back  in  March  and  relieve  them.  Then 
they  will  come  out  for  a  spell.  George  goes  from  here  to 
his  home  in  New  York  state  to  make  his  mother  com- 
fortable. 

I  am  an  American  by  birth,  but  of  Irish  parents.  I 
formerly  lived  in  Western  Kansas,  but  my  claim  there  was 
not  quite  as  good  as  the  one  I  staked  out  09  the  El  Dorado 
Creek, 


^^ 


^ 


^.LDS. 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


19 


jat  district,  and 
)   on  Dominion 


AT  DAWSON  CITY. 


ous. 


ley. 

we  take  out? 

balf  interest  in 

00  each  to  four 
tgages  on  their 

for  my  money 
y  wish  I  had  a 

icuring  labor  in 
ould  not  work 
in  a  greenhorn 
a  day.  Six  or 
six  weeks,  and 
earned  in  that 
3tty  good  pay, 
T  three  hours' 
t  rate,  but  he 
t  a  claim  of  his 
n  are  in  charge 
m  and  I  came 
e  them.  Then 
s  from  here  to 
J  motlier  com- 

ish  parents.     I 
'laim  there  was 

1  the  EI  Dorado 


\ 


Good  Order  Prevails  and  Town  Lots  Bring  as  IVIuch 

as  $10,000. 


Dawson  City  is  only  a  few  months  old.  Descriptions 
given  by  the  returned  miners  make  it  a  typical  mining 
town,  with  everything  but  guns.  The  use  of  firearms  is 
prohibited  by  the  British  Government,  which  enforces  its 
laws  by  the  use  of  mounted  police,  whose  Captain  is  the 
civil  authority.  Comparatively  few  houses  have  been 
erected,  though  there  is  a  population  of  5,000  persons. 
Lumber  costs  $1,000  a  thousand  feet,  and  most  of  the 
miners  live  in  tents  during  the  summer  months,  and  either 
return  to  St.  Michaels  at  the  beginning  of  winter  or  board 
with  someone  owning  a  house. 

Prices  at  Dawson. 

Building  lots  are  said  to  be  in  demand  at  $5,000,  with 
prices  going  as  high  as  $8,000  and  $10,000. 

In  summer  the  weather  becomes  warm  and  tent  life  is 
comfortable.  Mr.  Bowker  observed,  the  day  of  his  depart- 
ure, that  the  thermometer  registered  88  degrees  in  the 
shade.  The  winters  are  long  and  cold,  the  mercury  going 
down  to  40  and  even  to  60  degrees  below  zero  at  times, 
but  the  snow  seldom  is  more  than  a  foot  and  a  half  deep. 
\^ery  sudden  changes  from  one  extreme  to  the  other  are  the 
most  troublesome  features  of  the  climate. 

Laborers  Paid  $90  a  Week. 

Laborers,  it  is  asserted,  are  paid  as  high  as  $90  a  week, 
but  the  advice  is  given  that  no  man  can  afford  to  go  to  the 
new  camp  without  from  $500  to  $1,000,  with  which  to  sup- 
port himself  and  insure  the  possibility  of  returning  in  case 
of  adversity. 


I 


il!  t!i 


20 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


iii 


Ih 


I  i      1     :    1 


if 


Living,  of  course,  comes  high.  The  region  produces 
little  or  no  fruit  or  vegetables.  The  meat  of  the  caribou 
and  the  moose  sometimes  is  scarce.  There  are  seasons 
when  salmon  can  be  obtained. 

This  is  "Higii  Life/'  Sure  Enough. 

Here  is  the  list  of  prices  that  prevailed  in  Dawson 
City  during  the  past  season : 

Flour,  per  100  pounds,  $12;  moose  ham,  per  pound, 
$1;  caribou  meat,  per  pound,  Qo  cents;  beans,  per  pound, 
10  cents;  rice,  per  pound,  25  cents;  sugar,  per  pound,  25 
cents;  bacon,  per  pound,  40  cents;  butter,  per  roll,  $1.50; 
eggs,  per  dozen,  $1.50;  better  eggs,  per  dozen,  $2;  salmon, 
each,  $1  to  $1.50;  potatoes,  per  pound.  25  cents;  turnips. 
per  pound,  15  cents;  tea,  per  pound,  $1;  coffee,  per 
pound,  50  cents;  dried  fruits,  per  pound,  85  cents;  canned 
fruits,  50  cents;  canned  meats,  75  cents  ;  lemons,  each,  20 
cents;  oranges,  each,  50  cents;  tobacco,  per  pound,  $1.50; 
liquor,  per  drink,  50  cents;  shovels,  $2.50;  picks,  $5; 
coal  oil,  per  gallon,  $1;  overalls,  $1.50;  underwear,  per 
suit,  $5  to  $7.50;  shoes,  $5;  rubber  boots,  $10  to  $15. 

Y^nlcees  Get  Fair  Treatment. 

Although  the  new  mining  district  is  in  British  ter- 
ritory,  the  miners  all  declare  that  Americans  are  treated  as 
fairly  as  Englishmen.  Captain  Constantine,  at  the  head 
of  the  mounted  police,  is  the  Magistrate,  and  Gold  Com- 
missioner Fawcett  has  jurisdiction  over  all  mining  disputdfe. 

One  of  the  most  influential  men  in  the  Alaskan  party 
is  J.  Ladue,  founder  of  Dawson  City.  He  staked  out  the 
.town,  applied  to  the  Dominion  Government  for  a  patent, 
and  is  selling  town  lots  at  $2,000  apiece. 


ILDS. 


eg  ion  prod  lice  8 

of  the  caribou 

re  are  seasons 


)ugh. 

led   in  Dawson 

im,  per  pound, 
ns,  per  pound, 

per  pound,  25 
3er  roll,  $1.50; 
)n,  $2;  salmon, 
cents;  turnips, 
1;  coffee,  per 
•  cents;  canned 
mons,  each,  20 

pound,  $1.50; 
)0  ;  picks,  $5  ; 
mderwear,  per 
no  to  $15. 

It. 

in  British  ter- 
s  are  treated  as 
e,  at  the  head 
and  Gold  Com- 
lining  dispute. 
Alaskan  party 
staked  out  the 
it  for  a  patent, 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


21 


MRS.  LIPPY'S  STORY. 


Experience  of  the  First  White  Woman  on  the  Creek. 

Mrs.  Lippy,  who  went  with  her  husband  to  the  gold 
fields,  thus  tells  some  of  her  experience: 

"Of  course,  we  did  not  know  exactly  what  we  had  to 
face ;  no  one  can  who  hus  not  been  there  and  experienced 
it.  I  could  talk  to  you  all  day  and  you  would  not  really 
understand  without  seeing  for  yourself.  But  we  learned 
ever^'thing  we  could  about  the  Alaska  gold  fields,  the 
ways  of  traveliog  and  what  we  would  need  before  we 
started.  We  went  rather  better  prepared  than  many  of 
the  others ;  we  had  a  year's  outfit.  We  went  from  St. 
Michaels  by  steamer  and  by  trail  from  the  landing  to  the 
creek,  where  Mr.  Lippy  worked  his  claim.  I  had  16  miles 
to  walk,  so  the  hardships  of  the  trip  were  not  really  so 
great. 

Only  White  Woman  in  the  Camp. 

"I  am  not  the  first  white  woman  to  cross  the  divide; 
there  are  nine  or  ten  at  Forty-Mile  post,"  she  explained, 
with  deprecating  modesty. 

"Yes,  I  guess  I  was  the  first  white  woman  on  the 
Creek,"  she  admitted,  "and  the  only  one  in  our  camp. 
There  was  another  a  mile  from  us,  a  Mrs.  Berry.  She 
was  the  only  white  woman  I  had  to  speak  to  while  we  were 
at  the  camp. 

"When  we  got  to  El  Dorado  Creek,  we  lived  in  a  tent 
until  Mr.  Lippy  got  our  house  built — a  log  cabin.  It  is 
12x18,  eight  logs  high,  with  a  mud  and  moss  roof  and 
moss  between  the  chinks,  and  has  a  door  and  a  window. 
Mr.  Lippy  made  the  furniture,  a  rough  bed,  a  table  and 
some  stools.  We  had  a  stove.  There  are  plenty  of  stoves 
in  that  country,  and  that  was  all  we  needed.  The  cabin 
was  cozy  and  warm.  I  looked  after  the  housekeeping  and 
Mr.  Lippy  after  the  mining. 


22 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


Hi 
Ml 


i!i|l 


Living  On  Canned  Goods. 

"Everything  we  had  to  eat  was  canned.  Things  were 
canned  that  I  never  knew  could  be  canned  before.  Of 
course,  we  missed  fresh  food  dreadfully,  but  we  kept  well 
and  strong.  We  had  no  fresh  milk  or  meats  or  fruits  or 
eggs.  I  used  egg  powder ;  it's  not  a  good  substitute  in 
omelettes,  but  it  makes  good  gingerbread. 

"Amusements?  Well,  nobody  bothered  much  about 
amusements.  Everybody  was  busy  and  kept  busy  all  the 
time.  I  did  my  work.  The  mining  is  hard  work.  One 
does  not  pick  gold  off  the  ground.  It  is  genuine  toil,  and 
when  Mr.  Lippy  finished  he  wanted  to  rest.  All  the  men 
were  about  alike  on  that  point. 

Health  and  Fashion  In  the  Frozen  North. 

**I  wasn't  ill  all  the  time  we  were  there,  except  with  a 
headache  or  a  toothache.  We  were  very  fortunate  in 
every  way.  The  country  is  beautiful  and  quite  warm  in 
the  summer.  In  winter  it's  different,  with  the  mercury 
away  below  zero.  Still,  I  went  out  every  day,  but  when 
the  snow  was  on  the  ground  I  did  not  go  far  from  (he 
cabin. 

"Fashion?  Well,  we  were  not  entirely  cutoff  from 
the  fashionable  world.  New  people  were  coming  in  all  the 
time.  We  got  the  fashion  papers,  a  few  months  old,  to 
be  sure,  but  still  they  kept  us  fairly  up  to  time.  Why,  a 
trader  brought  shockingly  old-fashioned  cloaks  to  the 
camp  and  we  would  not  look  at  them.  He  had  to  sell 
them  to  the  Indians. 

Need  Never  Work  Agai;.. 

"I  did  not  change  my  way  of  dressing  particularly.  I 
dressed  more  warmly,  to  suit  the  climate,  of  course,  and 
wore  fur  boots  and  cap  constantly  during  the  cold  weather, 
and  in  summer  dressed  very  much  as  I  do  at  home." 


ELDS. 


Things  were 
ed  before.  Of 
it  we  kept  well 
ts  or  fruits  or 
substitute  in 

red  much  about 
)t  busy  all  the 
d  work.  One 
jnuine  toil,  and 
All  the   men 


North. 

,  except  with  a 
J  fortunate  in 
quite  warm  in 
li  the  mercury 
Jay,  but  when 

far   from    the 

J  cut  off  from 
ming  in  all  the 
Qonths  old,  to 
time.  Why,  a 
cloaks  to  the 
e  had   to    sell 


)articularly.    I 
f   course,  and 
I  cold  weather, 
home." 


» 

O 

o 


U 
% 

o 
u 

o 

Q 


< 
H 


id  I 


ill 


ill 


i!     -    :1 


■Mi 


V;iiW^ 


I      1 


iS^mmmmmm 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


23 


*'It  was  a  hard  experience?" 
*'Yes,  it  was;   but,  then,  we  expected  that." 
•    "And  you  were  well  repaid  for  it?" 
*'Yes,  we  were  lucky." 

*'You  made  enough  in  one  year  to   keep  you  in  com- 
fort the  rest  of  your  life?" 
"Well,  yes,  I  guess  so." 

Supplies  and  Tools  Needed. 

Here  is  a  list  of  the  supplies  needed,  according  to  a 
careful  estimate  made  by  several  returned  miners: 

The  necessities  for  one  man  for  one  month  are  20 
pounds  of  flour,  with  baking  powder;  12  pounds  of  bacon, 
()  pounds  of  beans,  5  pounds  of  dried  fruits,  3  pounds  of 
desiccated  vegetables,  4  pounds  of  butter,  5  pounds  of 
sugar,  4  cans  of  milk,  1  pound  of  tea,  3  pounds  of  coffee, 
2  pounds  of  salt,  5  pounds  of  cornmeal,  pepper,  matches, 
mustard,  cooking  utensils  and  dishes,  frying  pan,  water 
kettle,  tent,  Yukon  stove,  2  pairs  of  good  blankets,  1  rub- 
ber blanket,  a  bean  pot,  2  plates,  a  drinking  cup,  tea  pot, 
knife  and  fork,  1  large  and  1  small  cooking  pan.  The 
following  tools  for  boat-building  will  be  necessary,  if  the 
mountjfin  trip  is  made :  One  jack  plane,  1  whip  saw,  1 
hand  saw,  1  rip  saw,  1  draw  knife,  1  ax,  1  hatchet,  1  pocket 
rule,  0  pounds  of  assorted  nails,  3  pounds  of  oakum, 
5  pounds  of  pitch,  50  feet  of  i-inchrope,  mosquito  netting, 
1  pair  of  crag-proof  hip  boots,  snow  glasses  and  a  chest  of 
medicines. 

NOT  ONLY  GOLD. 


Coal  and  Oil  Fields  of  Alaska  to  be  Developed. 

A  late  dispatch  from  Seattle,  says: 

The  Alaska  Development  Co.  has  been  organized  here 
to  develop  the  coal  and  oil  fields  recently  discovered  in 
Southwestern  Alaska  by  R.  C.  Johnston,  of  Los  Gatos, 


TTTTTT 


24 


GuiDK  TO  Klondikk  Gold  Fields. 


I    li! 


:l!l 


I 


t 


!      I   M 


ti 


Cal.  The  report  made  to  the  company  by  Mr.  Johnston 
and  Mr.  T.  J.  Hamilton  of  this  city,  experts  who  made  a 
thorougli  examination  of  the  property,  show  that  the  dis- 
covery is  really  the  most  wonderful  find  the  world  has  ever 
known. 

Dipping  Oil  Up  in  Buckets. 

The  oil  fields  are  located  within  a  few  hundred  feet  of 
tidewater,  350  miles  west  of  Juneau.  The  statement  iS 
made  in  good  faith  that  the  oil  is  dripping  directly  from 
the  oil  rock  and  in  places  can  be  dipped  up  in  buckets, 
while  the  surrounding  coal  beds  are  inexhaustible. 

Building  the  Refinery. 

Thirty  thousand  feet  of  pipe  already  has  been  ordered 
from  Pittsburg,  and  as  soon  as  received  here  a  steam 
schooner  will  be  chartered  to  carry  it  and  tank  material  to 
the  discovery. 

A.  prominent  oil  man  has  given  a  guarantee  of  all  the 
capit'ii  necessary  to  build  a  refinery  at  this  point  as  soon 
iis  necessary  to  handle  the  product.  The  oil  is  pronounced 
of  the  best  quality  ever  seen  and  the  quantity  is  unlimited. 


MR.  OGILVIE'S  OFFICIAL  REPORT. 


The  Canadian  Officer  Furnishes  New  and  Interesting 

Information. 


The  Alaska  Mining  Record,  a  paper  published  at 
Juneau,  prints  a  great  deal  of  news  concerning  the  almost 
fabulous  richness  of  the  new  Klondike.  In  this  paper  ap- 
pears the  official  report  of  Dominion  Surveyor  Ogilvie, 
from  which  we  quote  some  important  statements : 


A  A 


Guide  to  Klondikk  Gold  Fields. 


25 


Origin  of  tlie  Name  ''Kiondilce/' 

The  name  Klondike  is  a  mi8i)ronunciation  of  the  Ind- 
ian word,  or  words,  torondak  or  duick,  which  means  plenty 
of  fish,  from  the  fact  that  it  is  a  famous  salmon  stream. 
It  is  marked  Tondak  on  our  nuips. 

After  telling  of  the  discovery  of  gold  there  in  1887  by 
G.  W.  Carmach,  Mr.  Ogilvio  presages  considerable 
trouble  and  confusion  in  the  near  future  from  the  lack  of 
system  in  marking  out  claims.     He  says: 

When  it  was  fairly  established  that  Bonanza  Creek 
was  rich  in  gold  there  was  a  great  rush  from  all  over  the 
country  adjacent  to  Forty-Mile.  The  town  was  almost 
deserted.  Men  who  had  been  in  a  chronic  state  of  drunken- 
ness for  weeks  were  pitched  into  bouts  as  ballast,  taken  up 
to  stake  themselves  a  claim,  and  claims  were  staked  by  men 
for  their  friends  who  were  not  in  the  country  at  any  time. 


First  l\1ettiod  of  Recording  Ciaims. 

All  this  gave  rise  to  much  confiiction  and  confusion, 
there  being  no  one  to  take  charge  of  matters.  The  miners 
held  a  meeting  and  appointed  one  of  themselves  to  measure 
off  and  stake  the  claims  and  record  the  owner's  names,  for 
which  he  got  a  fee  of  |2,  it  being,  of  course,  understood 
that  each  claim  holder  would  have  to  record  his  claim  with 
the  Dominion  agent  and  pay  his  fee  of  $15.  I  am  afraid 
that  a  state  of  affairs  will  develop  in  the  Klondike  district 
that  will  worry  some  one.  Naturally  many  squabbles  will 
arise  out  of  those  transactions  when  the  claims  come  to  be 
of  considerable  value  and  are  worked,  and  these,  together 
with  the  disputes  over  the  size  of  the  claims,  will  take  some 
time  to  clear  up.  Many  of  the  claims  are  said  to  be  only 
300  and  400  feet  long,  and,  of  course,  the  holder  will  in- 
sist on  getting  the  full  500,  and  it  is  now  practically  impos- 
sible that  they  can  without  upsetting  all  the  claimholders 
on  the  several  creeks.     Many  of  them  will  be  reasonable 


T— f 


H  ili 


; 


^■:i 


'^^ 


26 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


enough  to  see  things  in  their  proper  light   and   submit 
quietly,  but  many  will  insist  upon  what  they  call  their  rights. 

The  Stampede  to  the  Klondike. 

In  reference  to  the  richness  of  the  Klondike  field,  Mr. 
Ogilvie  says  that  rich  fields  in  that  district,  such  as  Miller, 
Glacier  and  Chicken  Creeks,  have  been  practically  abandoned 
for  the  Klondike.  Men  can  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  work 
for  love  or  money,  and  the  standard  of  wages  is  $1.50  per 
hour.  Some  of  the  claims  are  so  rich  that  every  night  a  | 
few  pans  of  dirt  is  sufficient  to  pay  all  the  hired  help. 

'*The  extent  of  the  gold-bearing  section  here,"  Mr. 
Ogilvie  continues,  *'is  such  as  to  warrant  the  assertion  that 
we  have  here  a  district  which  will  give  1,000  claims  of  500 
feet  in  length  each."  Now,  1,000  such  claims  will  require 
at  least  3,000  men  to  work  them  properly,  and,  as  wages 
for  workmen  in  the  mines  are  from  $8  to  $10  a  day,  with- 
out board,  we  have  every  reason  to  assume  that  this  part 
of  our  territory  will  within  a  year  or  two  contain  10,000 
souls  at  least,  so  far  as  the  news  has  gone  out  to  the  coast, 
and  an  unprecedented  influx  is  expected  next  spring. 

Possibilities  of  Indian  Creek. 

And  this  is  not  all,  for  a  large  creek  called  Indian 
Creek  joins  the  Yukon  about  midway  between  Klondike 
and  the  Stewart  River,  and  all  along  this  creek  good  pay 
dirt  has  been  found.  All  that  has  stood  in  the  way  of 
working  it  heretofore  has  been  the  scarcity  of  provisions 
and  the  difficulty  of  getting  them  up  there  even  when  here. 
Indian  Creek  is  quite  a  large  stream,  and  it  is  probable  it 
will  yield  500  or  600  claims. 

Farther  south  yet  lies  the  head  of  several  branches  of 
Stewart  Kiver,  on  which  some  prospecting  has  been  done 
this  summer  and  good  indications  found,  but  the  want  of 
provisions  prevented  development.  t| 


IKLDS. 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


27 


gilt   and   submit 
call  their  riorhts. 


like. 

ondike  field,  Mr. 
,  such  as  Miller, 
ically  abandoned 
ed  upon  to  work 
iges  is  $1.50  per 
at  every  night  a 
hired  help, 
tion  here,"  Mr. 
le  assertion  that 
)0  claims  of  500 
,ims  will  require 
r,  and,  as  wages 
!lO  a  day,  with- 
le  that  this  part 
>  contain  10,000 
•ut  to  the  coast, 
Kt  spring. 

k. 

j:  called  Indian 
ween  Klondike 
3reek  good  pay 

in  the  way  of 
1  of  provisions 
ven  when  here. 

is  probable  it 

al  branches  of 
has  been  done 
t  the  want  of 


Four  Million  Dollars  in  Eacli  Claim. 

Since  my  last  trip  the  prospects  in  Bonanza  Creek  and 
Itributaries  are  increasing  in  richness  and  extent,  until  now 
it  is  certain  millions  will  be  taken  out  of  the  district  in  the 
next  few  years.  On  some  of  the  claims  prospected  the  pay 
dirt  is  of  great  extent  and  very  rich.  One  man  told  me 
yesterday  that  he  washed  out  a  single  pan  of  dirt  in  one  of 
|the  claims  on  Bonanza  Creek  and  found  $14.25  in  it.  Of 
course,  that  may  be  an  exceedingly  rich  pan,  but  $5  to  $7 
[per  pan  is  the  average  on  that  claim,  it  is  reported,  with  5 
feet  pay  dirt,  and  the  width  yet  undetermined,  but  known 
to  be  30  feet.  Even  at  that  figure  the  result  at  nine  io 
ten  pans  to  the  cubic  foot,  and  500  feet  long,  is  $4,000,000 
at  $5  per  pan.  One-fourth  of  this  would  be  enormous. 
Enough  prospecting  has  beon  done  to  show  that  there  are 
at  least  fifteen  miles  of  this  extraordinary  richness,  and  the 
indications  are  that  we  will  have  three  or  four  times  that 
extent,  if  not  all  equal  to  the  above,  at  least  very  rich. 

Mr.  Ogilvie  complains  of  the  need  of  some  kind  of  a 
court  to  settle  the  various  claim  disputes  that  are  continu- 
ally arising  between  the  miners.  He  says  that  the  force 
and  virtue  of  the  miners'  meeting  prevailed  until  the 
mounted  police  made  their  appearance,  after  which  sneaks 
had  full  sailing. 

Morals  of  the  Klondike. 

The  morality  of  the  Klondike  would  se(jm  to  be  of  a 
much  higher  order  than  is  usually  found  in  new  mining 
camps,  the  presence  of  the  mounted  police  seeming  to  have 
a  most  salutary  effect.  Mr.  Ogilvie  seems  to  regret  it,  for 
he  says : 

"The  man  who  was  stabbed  here  in  November  has  (juite 
recovered,  but  may  never  have  the  same  use  of  his  buck  as 
of  old,  having  received  a  bad  cut  there.  His  assailant  is 
out  on  bail,  awaiting  the  entrance  of  a  judge  to  try  him. 
As  the  police  are  here,  there  will  be  no  lynching.  It  is 
almost  a  pity  there  will  not."  • 


TTtrnrr 


28 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


j  1 

■  ii 

N  ! 

11 

■  i  1 

-.1 

1 

i  1 
!'  i 

1      ill 

!  1 
lii  i 

I  i 


ill  I 


m 


To  Regulate  Liquor  Traffic. 

Mr.  Ogilvie  takes  up  the  subject  of  the  liquor  traffic 
also,  saying: 

**The  impressioQ  of  the  best  men  here,  saloon  men  and 
all,  is  that  the  liquor  trade  should  be  regulated  and  no  one 
but  responsible  parties  should  he  allowed  to  bring  liquor 
in.  Now,  any  loafer  who  .  :u.  ^-'ther  enough  money  to 
secure  a  few  gallons  and  a  tc  .  jiiusses  and  wants  to  have 
an  idle  time,  sets  up  a  saloon." 

Free  Gold  Along  the  Creeks. 

Mr.  Ogilvie  announces  the  location  of  a  quartz  lode 
showing  free  gold  in  paying  quantities  along  the  creeks. 
The  quartz  has  tested  over  $100  a  ton.  The  lode  appears 
to  run  from  3  to  8  feet  in  thickness  and  is  about  nineteen 
miles  from  the  Yukon  River.  Good  quarti!  has  been  found 
also  at  the  head  of  a  branch  of  the  Ab  tk  Kiver,  near  the 
head  of  the  Chilkat  Inlet,  inside  the  si  v..  u.t  of  the  coast 
range,  in  Canadian  territory;  also,  m  '^av's  Creek,  in 
American  territory.  The  hills  aroui  '  V^ianza  Creek 
also  contain  paying  quartz.  Copper  in  abundance  is  found 
on  the  southerly  branch  of  the  White  River,  and  silver  ore 
has  been  picked  up  in  a  creek  emptying  into  Bennett  Lake. 
Mr.  Ogilvie  says  that  the  placer  prospect  continues  to  be 
more  and  more  encouraging  an^l  ext'  (.ordinary. 

It  is  beyond  a  doubt,  he  js^j^h,  tb  i'>  ♦'^ree  pans  of  dif- 
ferent claims  on  El  Dorado  turned  cv  c  $204,  $212  and 
$216,  but  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  there  were  only 
three  such  puns,  thougti  there  are  many  running  from  $10 
to  $50. 

How  the  Dirt  Pans  Out. 

It  is  stated  on  good  authority  that  one  claim  yielded 
$90,000  in  45  feet  up  and  down  the  stream.  Clarence 
Berry  bought  out  his  two  partners,  paying  one  $35,000 
ind  the  other  •$60,000,  and  has  taken  up  $140,000   from 


I  ELDS. 


c. 

the  liquor  traffic  \ 

J,  saloon  men  and 

ated  and  no  one 

to  bring  liquor 

lough  money  to 

i  wants  to  have 


ks. 

3f  a  quartz  lode  \ 
ong  the  creeks, 
he  lode  appears 
3  about  nineteen 
^  has  been  found  I 
«iiver,  near  the  \ 
-  t  of  the  coast 
"*v"s    Creek,    in 
.^-Aianza    Creek 
indance  is  found  | 
r,  and  silver  ore 
o  Bennett  Lake, 
continues  to  be 
ary, 

ee  pans  of  dif- 
204,  $212  and 
lere  were  only 
Qning  from  $10 


claim  yielded 
am.  Clarence 
I  one  $;J5,000 
1140,000   from 


o 

ton 


XI 

o 
o 


iJ 
u 
o 

< 


H 
73 

< 


t 

i 


liktlWIiM 


MHHia 


iH 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields.  29 

the  winter  dump  alone.  Peter  Wiberg  has  purchased 
Imore  ground.  He  purchased  his  partner's  interest  in  a 
Iclaim,  paying  $12,000.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Wall  has 
lall  he  thinks  he  wants  and  is  coming  out.  He  sold  his 
[interests  for  $50,000.  Nearly  all  the  gold  is  found  in  the 
Icreek  bed  on  the  bed  rock,  but  there  are  a  few  good  bench 
[diggings. 

First  Grave  at  Dawson. 

Birch  Stickney  died   at   the   foot   of  Lake   Labarge. 

IHis  partner  offered  $200  for  a  man  to  accompany  him  to 

Dawson  with  the  body,  and   getting   no   assistance,    made 

Itho  trip  alone,  the  journey  requiring  five  days.    Stickney's 

|\/as  the  first  body  buried  in  Dawson. 

Many  interesting  letters  are  published  in  the  Mining 
\Ilecord  from  men  n  the  Klondike  to  friends  in  the  Yukon. 
All  tell  of  a  plechora  cf  gold  and  a  scarcity  of  provisions 
and  supplies.  One  of  these  enthusiasts  says  he  fears  gold 
will  have  to  be  demonetized,  while  another  described  Klon- 
dike as  a  great  country  for  a  poor  man,  aside  from  the 
mosquitos  and  poor  grub.  These  letters  are  from  Casey 
Moran,  Burt  Shuler,  Andy  Hensley,  Oscar  Ashbey  and 
Fred  Brewster  Fay. 

JUNEAU  TO  DAWSON. 


The  Founder  of  Dawson  City  Lays  Out    the   Route. 


James  Ladue,  the  founder  of  Dawson  City,  tells  how 
the  Bonanza  may  be  reached,  as  follows : 

Leaving  Juneau,  go  to  Dyea,  by  \ray  of  Lime  Canal, 
and  from  there  to  Lake  Lindermann,  thirty  miles  on  foot, 
or  portage,  as  we  call  it.  The  lake  gives  you  a  ride  of  five 
or  six  miles  and  then  follows  another  long  journey  over- 
land to  the  headwaters  of  Lake  Bennett,  which  is  twenty- 
eight  miles  long.     On  foot  you  go  again  for  a  number  of 


I 


30 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


i 

ji   ,fl: 

ji        i    !' 

1         ^   M'l 

1 

■:          ■     ;  i  .  1 
■!i     1    :    'il- 

i  i  i  ;i   \l 

If!       1  !       '  "■ 

i 

il 


miles,  and  the  Cariboo  Crossing  River  furnishes  transpor- 
tation for  four  miles  to  Tagish  Lake,  where  another' 
twenty-one  miles'  boat  ride  may  be  had.  This  is  followed 
by  a  weary  stretch  of  mountainous  country,  and  then 
Marsh,  or  Mud  Lake,  is  reached.  You  get  another  boat 
ride  of  twenty-four  miles,  and  then  down  a  creek  for 
twenty-seven  miles  to  Miles  Canyon  to  White  Horse  Rapids. 

Dangers  of  the  Rapids. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  dangerous  places  on  the  entire 
route,  and  should  be  avoided  by  all  strangers.  The  stream 
is  full  of  sunken  rocks,  and  runs  with  the  speed  of  a  mill 
race.  Passing  White  Horse  Rapids  the  journey  is  down  a 
river  thirty  miles  to  Lake  Labarge,  where  thirty-one  miles 
of  navigable  water  is  found.  Another  short  portage  and 
Lewis  River  is  reached,  when  you  have  a  200-mile  journey, 
which  brings  you  to  Fort  Selkirk.  At  this  point  the  Pelly 
and  Lewis  rivers  come  together,  forming  the  Yukon.  From 
that  point  on  it  is  practically  smooth  sailing,  though  the 
stranger  nmst  be  exceedingly  carel:;!. 

The  most  dangerous  part  of  the  trip  is  that  crossing 
Chilkat  Pass.  Even  as  late  as  May  and  June  snowstorms 
occur,  and  woe  to  the  traveler  who  is  caught.  Chilkat 
Pass  is  itself  3,000  feet  high,  but  is  the  only  opening  in  a 
mountain  range  whose  peaks  reach  an  average  altitude  of 
10,000  feet. 


CAME  HOME  RICH. 


Statements  Made  by  Four  Men  Who  Found  Fortunes. 


Here  are  the  experiences  related  by  four  of  the 
men  who  came  home  on  the  steamer  Portland  in  July.  All 
brought  back  gold  in  abundance,  and  their  stories  merit 
careful  perusal : 


Guide  to  Klondikk  Gold  Fields. 


31 


Mr.  Orr,  a  Veteran  Miner. 

Alexander  Orr  said : 

"I  have  been  mining  in  the  West  the  hist  thirty  years, 
but  never  saw  any  country  so  rich  in  gold  as  Alaska.  The 
development  of  the  country  has  just  begun.  When  the 
miners  first  went  there  they  were  handicapped  by  the  dif- 
ficulty in  getting  supplies  to  the  camp.  Transportation 
was  exceedingly  expensive,  and  many  winters  the  supply 
of  food  was  so  scarce  that  the  men  ©ften  were  hungry. 
Little  progress  could  be  made  during  the  winter,  as  tlio 
men  could  not  go  far  from  the  camp.  All  that  could  be 
done  was  to  work  where  gold  could  be  found  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  and  wait  for  spring. 

Eight  Years  in  Alaslca. 

"I  went  to  Alaska  eight  years  ago,  and  for  the  first 
seven  years  made  little  more  than  a  living.  I  spent  the 
time  prospecting,  and  eight  months  ago  located  the  claim 
near  Dawson  City  that  proved  so  rich.  Before  we  had 
hardly  begun  drifting  from  the  main  shaft  my^artner  and 
I  obtained  about  $5,000  in  gold.  Then  the  fame  of  the 
new  diggings  and  the  value  of  the  claims  increased  tremen- 
dously. 

"We  had  an  offer  to  sell  for  $20,000,  and  as  my  part- 
ner and  I  were  both  old  men  and  had  been  laid  up  with 
rheumatism  nearly  all  winter,  we  decided  to  sell.  We  sold 
our  claim,  5,000  feet  square,  to  Jack  McQuestern,  Louis 
Ellis  and  a  man  named  Belcher. 

$18,000  in  Fifty  Square  Feet. 

"They  paid  $2,000  down  last  March  and  promised  to 
pay  the  remaining  $18,000  July  20.  When  the  time  came 
to  make  the  final  payment  they  had  made  enough  money, 
working  fifty  S(|uare  feet,  to  pay  it  and  only  two-thirds  of 
the  dumps  had  been   worked.     It  can  be  imagined,  there- 


w^ 


32 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


Fwv.»«. 


1^!   i         I 


>■   i,i 


fore,  how  much  gold  there  is  in  the  whole  claim,  assuming 
that  it  is  all  as  rich  as  that  which  has  been  worked. 

"When  a  man  goes  to  the  mines  it  is  customary  for  him 
to  buy  his  entire  year's  supplies  and  have  them  carted 
away  to  the  camp.  As  ayear's  supplies  weigh  about  1,200 
pounds,  and  the  cost  of  transportation  10  cents  a  pound, 
the  cost  of  shipping  one's  goods  is  about  $120. 

Take  Your  Winter  Furs  Along. 

*'In  winter  the  weather  is  extremely  cold  at  Dawson 
City,  and  it  is  necessary  that  one  be  warmly  clad.  The 
thermometer  often  goes  GO  or  70  degrees  below  zero.  Or- 
dinary woolen  clothes  would  afford  little  protection.  Furs 
are  used  exclusively  for  clothing. 

"Dawson  is  not  like  most  of  the  large  mining  camps. 
It  is  not  a  "tough"  town.     Murders  are  almost  unknown. 

Big  Poker  Games  at  Dawson. 

"The  miners  are  a  quiet  and  peaceful  class  of  men, 
who  had  gone  there  to  work  and  are  willing  that  everybody 
else  shall  have  an  equal  chance  with  themselves.  A  great 
deal  of  gambling  is  done  in  the  town,  but  serious  quarrels 
are  an  exception.  As  a  gambling  town  I  think  it  is  equal 
to  any  that  I  have  ever  seen;  and  this,  by  the  way,  is 
always  the  test  of  a  mining  camp's  prosperity.  Stud  poker 
is  the  usual  game.  They  play  $100  and  often  $200  or  $500 
on  the  third  card." 

'Go  Well  Fixed,"  Says  Mr.  Cook. 

Thomas  Cook  said : 

"Ii:'s  a  good  country,  but  if  there  is  a  rush  there's 
going  to  be  a  great  d;  I  of  suffering.  Over  2,000  men 
are  there  at  present,  and  2,000  more  will  be  in  before  the 
snow  falls.  I  advise  people  to  take  provisions  with  them, 
enough  for  eight  months  at  least.  If  they  have  that  it  is 
all  right. 


.  l.« 


HIH 


.DS. 


Lim,  assuming 
)rkcd. 

)niary  forhim 
them  carted 
1  about  1,200 
ents  a  pound, 
3. 

I- 

d  at  Dawson 
y  clad.  The 
•vv  zero.  Or- 
Bction.     Furs 

lining  camps. 
ost  unknown. 


3lass  of  men, 
at  everybody 
es.  A  great 
ious  quarrels 
nk  it  is  equal 
the  way,  is 
Stud  poker 
$200  or  $500 


)k. 

rush  there's 
•  2,000  men 
n  before  the 
3  with  them, 
ive  that  it  is 


73 


M 


« 


r^'w 


'    'I 


^ 


I  ! 


Pl 
ai 

ai 

yi 

a 

di 

ai 

3i 
di 


T 

tl 
n 

P 
a 

t] 

c 

e 


I 
V 

i 

€ 


Hi 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


33 


Reports  Are  Not  Exaggerated. 

"The  country  is  not  exaggerated  at  all.  I've  been  at 
[placer  mining  for  years  in  California  and  British  Columbia, 
and  the  mines  at  Dawson  are  more  extensive  and  beyond 
anything  I  ever  saw.  I  could  scarcely  speak  of  the  average 
yield,  but  the  results  are  all  good.  Wages  have  been  $15 
a  day.  I  was  in  the  Yukon  country  for  six  years,  but  I 
did  not  do  much  the  first  five.  Last  year  I  did  very  little 
at  Dawson.  I  have  claims  worth  about  the  average,  they 
say,  from  $25,000  to  $50,000,  on  Bear  Creek,  across  the 
divide  from  the  Bonanza. 

The  World's  Richest  Strike. 

••The  area  of  these  gold  fields  is — well,  who  knows? 
The  land  is  not  prospected  except  along  a  few  creeks,  and 
that  is  very  small  in  comparison  with  the  territory  that 
may  be  full  of  gold.  Even  Bonanza  and  El  Dorado  are  only 
partially  prospected.  The  dust  I  brought  down  will  aver- 
age about  the  same  as  the  rest,  $10,000  or  more.  I  know 
they  all  have  protty  good  sacks.  It  is  a  big  strike  and  you 
can  count  it  among  the  biggest  of  the  world  in  richness  and 
extent.** 

Good  Times  on  the  Bonanza. 

Fred  Pricp  said : 

•*I  was  located  on  the* Bonanza,  with  Harry  McCullough, 
my  partner.  I  brought  down  $50,000  in  gold  dust,  and 
made  $20,000,  which  is  invested  in  more  ground.  There 
were  good  stakes  on  the  boat  coming  down,  from  $5,000  to 
$40,000  among  the  boys.  I  refused  $25,000  for  my  inter- 
est before  I  left.  My  partner  remains,  and  I  shall  return  in 
spring,  after  seeing  my  family  at  Seattle.  I  was  in  the 
mines  for  two  years. 

Ten  Miles  of  Rich  Claims. 

••One  cannot  realize  the  wealth  of  that  creek.  There 
are ^f our  miles  of  claims  on  the  El  Dorado,  and  the  poorest 


FPPT^ 


•    34 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


7, 

ill    ' 

:!    h 

hi    ! 

n      ■  ■;  j  ; 

il 

! 

•  % 

ilVi 

IN;! 


is  worth  $50,000.  The  Bonanza  claims  run  for  ten  miles 
and  range  from  $5,000  to  $90,000.  A  man  would  need  at 
least  $500  to  go  in.  There  is  no  credit  in  the  stores  at 
Dawson  City,  positively  none,  and  there  is  much  of  the 
bitter  to  mingle  with  the  sweet.  All  is  not  gold  in  those 
diggings." 

The  Gold-Lined  Rook. 

L.  B.  Rhoads  said: 

♦*I  am  located  on  claim  21,  above  the  Discovery  on 
Bonanza  Cfeek.  I  did  exceedi-  r  well  up  there.  I  was 
among  the  fortunate  ones,  as  ]  ^red  about  $40,000,  but 
brought  only  $5,000  with  me.  I  was  the  first  man  to  get 
to  bed  rock  gravel  and  to  discover  that  it  was  lined  with  gold 
dust  and  nuggets.  The  rock  was  seamed  and  cut  in 
V-shaped  streaks,  caused,  it  is  supposed,  by  glacial  action. 
In  those  seams  I  found  a  clay  which  was  exceedingly  rich. 
In  fact,  there  was  a  stratum  of  pay  gravel  four  feet  thick 
upon  the  rock,  which  was  lined  with  gold,  particularly  in 
these  channels  or  streaks. 

Alaska  Investments  Good. 

* 'The  rock  was  about  fifteen  feet  from  the  surface. 
That  discovery  made  the  camp.  It  was  made  October  23, 
1896,  and  as  soon  as  the  news  spread  everybody  rushed  to 
the  diggings  from  Circle  City,  Forty-Mile  and  from  every 
other  camp  in  the  district. 

"There  was  a  lack  of  food.  We  had  nothing  but  what 
was  sledded  from  Forty-Mile.  Flour  sold  as  high  as  $45 
a  sack,  and  shovels  at  $18.  I  invested  my  money  in  an- 
other claim,  a  two-third  interest  in  claim  23.  If  I  hadn't 
bought  it  I  could  have  brought  down  at  least  $35,000,  but 
an  investment  there  is  the  best  security." 


1  ! 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


35 


DIRECTOR  OF  THE  MINT. 


rold  in  those 


Mr.  R.  E.  Preston  Submits  a  Carefully 
Prepared,  Opinion. 

Mr.  R.  E.  Preston,  Director  of  the  Mint,  was  asked 
the  following  questions : 

1.  What  do  you  think  of  the  reported  gold  dis- 
coveries in  Alaska? 

2.  Do  you  consider  the  newspaper  reports  exag- 
gerated ? 

3.  What  effect  will  these  discoveries  have  on  the  gold 
production  of  the  United  States? 

4.  How  do  these  recent  discoveries  compare  in  results 
to  those  of  the  Transvaal  in  early  days  ? 

Mr.  Preston  furnished  the  following  replies  over  his 
signature : 

Newspaper  Reports  Confirmed. 

The  information  I  have  received  confirms  the  truth  of 
the  telegrams  to  the  daily  papers  concerning  the  richness 
of  the  newly  discovered  gold  fields.  I  learn  from  the  San 
Francisco  Mint  that  $1,000,000  of  gold  has  been  received 
in  that  city  from  the  Klondike  district,  and  from  Helena, 
Mont.,  that  $200,000  from  the  same  source  has  been  de-. 
posited  at  the  United  States  Assay  Office  in  that  city. 

To  question  the  report  of  rich  gold  discoveries  in  the 
Klondike  would  be  to  question  the  reliability  of  all  the 
news  agencies  of  the  United  States,  from  Alaska  to  San 
Francisco  and  New  York. 

Must  Be  Quartz  Gold,  Too. 

Now,  while  one  may  reasonably  question  whether  there 
was  really  a  ton  of  gold  on  board  the  steamer  arriving  last 
Saturday,  and  whether  there  are  still  four  millions  of  gold 
dust  to  be  shipped  from  St.  Michaels  through  the  *  Wells- 


l-^i^ 


36 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


:|i  ilMI' 


Fargo  Company,  of  this  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  a 
large  amount  of  gold  was  produced  in  the  Yukon  and  Klon- 
dike districts  during  the  past  winter,  and  that  a  new  gold 
field  of  considerable  importance  has  been  discovered  in 
that  region.  The  gold  there  di,scovered  is  placer  gold,  but 
the  existence  of  gold  in  the  sands  of  the  Klondike  points 
unmistakably  to  the  fact  that  the  quartz  gold  must  exist 
in  the  vicinity  of  that  river. 

It  is  too  early,  however,  to  yet  claim  that  the  Klondike 
is  a  new  El  Dorado.     That  only  the  future  reveals. 

New  Mines  Need  Little  Capital. 

Now,  as  to  their  probable  effect  on  the  gold  production 
of  the  United  States.  So  far  as  the  newly  discovered  gold 
has  been  found  within  United  States  territory  it  will,  of 
course,  go  to  increase  the  total  product  of  the  country  in 
1897.  I  do  not  see  how  the  opening  of  the  new  gold  fields 
can  decrease  the  gold  product  of  any  other  of  our  States 
or  Territories.  It  may,  indeed,  attract  some  of  our 
prospectors  and  workmen,  but  there  never  has  been  and 
never  will  be  any  lack  of  these  in  the  United  States;  The 
places  of  those  who  really  leave  the  United  States  will  be 
readily  filled.  The  new  gold  mines  there  are  placer  mines, 
and  need  comparatively  little  capital  to  develop  them.  I 
expect,  therefore,  that  for  years  to  come  the  gold  pro- 
duction of  the  United  Stp/tes  will  be  continually  increasing. 

Will  Klondike  Equal  South  Africa? 

The  best  answer  that  can  be  given  to  the  question  how 
these  recent  discoveries  compare  with  those  of  the 
Transvaal  in  its  early  days  is,  that  as  far  as  mere  results 
are  concerned  they  are  greater  There  is  Scarcely  a 
possibility,  however,  that  the  production  of  the  newly 
discovered  gold  fields  will  ever  reach  the  gold  output  of  the 
South  African  Kepublic  in  recent  years.     No  single]  gold 


^4y^ 


■Hi 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


37 


ubt  that  a 
1  and  Elon- 
a  new  gold 
covered  in 
>r  gold,  but 
dike  points 
I  must  exist 

le  Klondike 
als. 


production 
overed  gold 

it  will,  of 

country  in 
^  gold  fields 

our  States 
le  of  our 
s  been  and 
bates;  The 
-tes  will  be 
lacer  mines, 
p  them.  I 
e  gold  pro- 
increasing. 


lestion  how 
36  of  the 
aere  results 
Scarcely  a 
the  newly 
tput  of  the 
jingle;  gold 


field  ever  reached  it  before,  and  the  chances  are  that  none 
will  in  the  future.  It  is  the  unanimous  opinion  of  all 
mining  experts  that  the  wealth  of  the  mines,  especially  of 
the  Witwatersrandt,  is  assured  for  some  decades  at  least, 
and  they  have  been  led  to  this  conviction  through  in- 
vestigation and  by  the  evidence  afforded  by  the  practical 
development  of  the  mines  themselves. 

It  has  been  demonstrated  that  the  gold  contents  of 
this  mine  incre^e  with  the  depth.  The  difficulty  that  lay 
in  the  fact  that  the  pyrites  occurring  at  a  certain  depth 
could  not  be  treated,  has  been  practically  solved  by  the 
successful  application  to  them  of  the  chlorination  process. 
By  the  introduction  of  this  process  it  nas  become  possible 
to  obtain  almost  the  last  traces  of  the  gold  in  the  iailing, 
which  had  hitherto  been  considered  worthless. 

We  Can't  Have  Too  Much  Gold. 

What  influence  the  production  of  gold  in  the  Klondike 
district,  if  it  should  prove  to  be  very  large  in  the  next 
succeeding  years,  will  have  on  prices  and  in  the  money 
market,  it  is  impuisible  to  say.  Supply  and  production  of 
gold  has  doubUd  in  the  last  ten  years,  while  the  demand 
for  it  and  the  employment  of  it  in  the  wholesale  trade  has 
been  more  and  more  decreased  by  the  clearing-house 
system.  The  large  central  banks  of  Europe  have  a  gold 
stock  far  greater  than  would  have  been  supposed  some 
time  ago.  And  although  the  production  of  gold  has  kept 
on  incieasing,  it  has  not  been  able  to  stop  the  decline  of 
the  prices  of  commodities. 

This  is  the  best  refutation  that  can  be  given  of  the 
contontion  that  the  decline  of  prices  has  been  caused  by 
the  scarcity  of  gold. 

Look  For  Further  Discoveries. 

The  history  of  gold  production  in  Alaska  hitherto 
would  prepare  the  mind  for  the  acceptance  of  a  belief  in 


38 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


1 

|i  ji  :: 

1 ' 

Jiii:i| 

m 

^ 

K 

« 

! 

1 

\        ■' 

^i 

!■ 

HKif  iii! 


!i 


the  likelihood  of  further  gold  discoveries  in  that  region  or 
its  proximity.  Our  accurate  knowledge  of  the  production 
of  gold  in  Alaska  dates  back  to  1870.  It  was  known  in  that 
year  that  gold  in  limited  quantities  abounded  in  Kadiuk. 
This  gold  occurred  in  veins  of  quartz,  and  yielded  about 
$5  per  ton  in  gold  and  silver.  The  mineralogical  character 
of  the  specimens  was  the  same  as  that  of  the  most  pro- 
ductive veins  known. 

Gold  has  been  found  in  the  bay  oif  which  the  Taku 
villages  are  situated,  and  in  the  streams  in  the  vicinity. 
For  many  years  quartz  prospecting  has  been  vigorously 
carried  on  in  this  locality,  and  quantities  of  gold  have  been 
taken  to  San  Francisco. 


Development  Only  Begun. 

The  development  of  the  wealth  of  Southern  Alaska 
may  be  said  to  have  begun  only  recently.  The  first  steps 
were  taken  by  placer  miners,  who  washed  the  sands  of  the 
streams  and  the  debris  from  the  hillsides. 

The  mineral  belt  of  Alaska  has,  according  to  Prof. 
Emmons,  of  the  Geological  Survey,  a  longitudinal  survey 
of  about  100  miles  in  a  northwestern  and  southeastern 
direction.     It  is  said  to  be  only  a  few  miles  wide. 

The  drawbacks  in  the  Klondike  district  will  necessarily 
partake  of  the  nature  of  those  in  Asiatic  Russia.  The 
severity  of  the  climate  there  will,  as  in  Siberia,  reduce  the 
labor  year  to  about  100  days.  The  sands  can  only  be 
washed  in  summer,  and  the  production  is  thus  reduced  to 
about  one-third  of  what  it  would  be  in  another  latitude. 

R.  E.  Preston. 


it  region  or 
production 
]own  in  that 
in  Kadiuk. 
)Ided  about 
al  character 
e  most  pro- 

h  the  Taku 
he  vicinity. 

vigorously 
d  have  been 


lern  Alaska 
)  first  steps 
sands  of  the 

ing  to  Prof. 

iinal  survey 

outheastern 

ie. 

i  necessarily 

ussia.     The 

reduce  the 
m   only   be 

reduced  to 
latitude. 
;eston. 


■v;-/; 


0£ 

% 
o 
\t 
u> 
o 

V. 

X 
H 

u. 

o 

tn 

a 

in 

< 

o 
'A 


u^ 


-iiM' 


i  I 


m 


t 

'    i  3 

i  ' 

;      . 

'     :  ^ 

* 
1 

k 

.    -.'Vwi    t. 

1 

Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


89 


FROM  THE  WASHTUB. 


Mrs.  J.  T.  Willis  Moves  Into  the  Millionaire  Set  o^ 

Klondike. 


The  pioneer  woman  gold-hunter  of  the  Yukon,  Mrs.  J. 
T.  Willis,  of  Tacoma,  has  struck  it  rich  on  the  Klondike. 
Only  a  few  weeks  ago  she  was  taking  in  washing,  and  now 
she  is  worth  $250,000. 

**I  have  gone  through  death,"  she  writes  to  Mrs. 
Frank  P.  Hicks,  "and  a  fight  has  been  made  against  me 
to  take  possession  of  my  claim,  but  I  will  stand  by  my 
rights  if  it  takes  five  years." 

For  two  years  she  mad%  little  money,  and  was  almost 
disheartened,  when  the  Klondike  bonanzas  were  discovered. 
She  immediately  joined  a  part^t  of  cattlemen  and  hurried 
to  the  new  diggings,  and  was  among  the  first  to  secure 
claims,  ^'he  then  went  to  work  as  cook  for  the  Alaska  Com- 
mercial Conpany  mess  at  Dawson  City,  and  is  receiving  $15 
per  day  fo :•  her  services.  While  doing  washing  Mrs.  Willis 
introduced  the  first  "boiled  shirt"  into  the  Yukon  gold 
camp,  and  paid  $2.50  for  the  box  of  starch  with  which  she 
starched  the  first  shirt.  Her  first  assistant  in  the  laundry 
was  an  Indian  squaw,  whom  Mrs.  Willis  paid  $4  per  day 
and  board.  Her  little  log  cabin  cost  her  $35  per  month, 
and  her  supply  of  wood  for  the  winter  cost  her  $225.  A 
25-cent  washboard  cost  her  six  times  that  amount. 


SPORTSMAN'S    PARADISE. 


Streams  Full  of  Trout  and  Woods  Full  of  Moose. 


Capt.  J.  E.  Fairbairn,  of  San  Francisco,  formerly 
master  of  the  steamer  Florence  Henry,  who  went  to  Alaska 
in  April  and  returned  with  a  party  of  Klondike  miners  on 


fwr- 


I 


II 


:ll 


»'i  '.11 

ml 


40 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


the  steamer  Portland,  says  the  Yukon  country  is  a  sports- 
man's paradise.  Trolling  in  a  boat  down  the  lakes  one  can 
catch  trout  weighing  from  two  to  thirty  pounds,  while  he 
can  go  anywhere  in  the  woods  and  kill  moose.  The  country 
abounds  in  the  finest  of  bunch  grass  he  ever  saw. 

"Dawson  City,"  the  Captain  continued,  **lies  on  low, 
marshy  ground.  There  are  about  fifty  log  cabins  in  the 
town. and  innumerable  tents.  Some  of  the  miners  live  in  the 
latter  all  winter.  It  is  one  of  the  few  places  where  honesty 
is  the  best  policy. 

<<One  can  hang  a  sack  of  gold  dust  outside  of  his  cabin 
and  it  is  perfectly  safe.  One  saloonkeeper  has  $160,000 
in  gold  in  a  little  shack  and  he  never  locks  his  door." 


GREAT  LAWYEJf  GOES  FOR  GOLD. 


A  Fair  Sample  of  the  Gold-Hunting  Parties  Forming 

All  Over  the  Country. 

Marshall  F.  McDonald,  of  St.  Louis,  one  of  the  well- 
known  criminal  lawyers  of  the  West,  is  going  to  the  Klon- 
dike country. 

This  will  be  surprising  information  to  those  who  never 
knew  that  he  has  dug  for  gold  in  California,  for  silver  in 
Leadville  and  for  anything  the  Black  Hills  could  turn  out. 

He  has  roughed  it  all  over  the  West  and  knows  the 
law  of  the  mine  and  the  camp  as  well  as  he  does  the  law  of 
bench  and  bar. 

Nine  in  the  Party. 

**I  am  not  going  to  Alaska  alone,"  said  Mr.  McDonald 
to  a  reporter,  **nor  am  I  going  without  the  completest  prep- 
aration and  familiarity  with  whatever  dangers  and  difficulties 
are  to  be  encountered. 

**Our  party  will  consist  of  nine  persons,  with  myself  in 
command  of  the  expedition.    The  arrangements  mre  all 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


41 


perfected  and  a  start  will  be  Jiade  this  fall  by  four  of  the 
company,  the  remaining  five  to  follow  in  the  early  spring. 
"Each  of  us  will  put  up  $5,000  in  cash,  to  cover  the 
expenses  of  travel  and  maintenance.  We  have  five  practi- 
cal miners  who  are  under  contract  to  work  at  so  much  per 
day  and  a  percentage  of  all  the  property  yield.  Four  of 
these  men  are  to  start  for  the  Klondike  country  in  Sep- 
tember and  get  themselves  located  for  the  winter  as  con- 
venient to  the  gold  fields  aa  the  character  of  the  country 
and  their  judgment  may  dictate.  There  they  will  collect 
the  supplies  sent  overland  and  be  ready  to  enter  the  mines 
in  the  spring. 

They  Go  Well  Fixed. 

"One  of  our  party  is  a  physician  and  skilled  metal- 
lurgist, at  present  in  one  of  the  departments  at  Washington. 

"Another,  also  employed  in  Washington,  is  an  expert 
surveyor. 

"There  are  with  us  in  the  enterprise  several  prominent 
politicians,  not  only  of  State  but  of  National  reputation. 
They  are  not  ready  just  yet  for  the  publication  of  their 
names,  but  they  will  be  later. 

"I  expect  to  accompany  the  four  miners  to  Juneau  this 
fall,  return  to  St.  Louis  and  then  leave  with-  the  rest  of 
the  party  early  in  the  spring.  We  shall  have  a  professional 
cook,  and  there  are  three  of  us  who  can  cook  when  neces- 
sity requires.  So,  you  see,  we  are  fortifying  against 
hunger.  Provisions,  drugs,  medicines,  etc.,  will  be  among 
our  supplies. 

Not  Afraid  of  Cold  Weather. 

"From  all  I  can  learn  the  trip  from  Juneau  can  be 
made  overland  quicker  than  by  boat  up  the  Yu^on.  The 
severity  of  the  weather  will  have  something  to  do  with  our 
determination  of  the  route. 

"So  far  as  the  hardships,  dangers  and  privations  are 
concerned,  they  are  no  worse  than  those  incident  to  every 


42 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


mining  camp  and  every  mining  country.  Why,  when  I 
was  in  Dead  wood,  a  bunch  of  ua  went  on  a  fool's  errand 
into  the  Big  Horn,  where  it  was  declared  gold  could  be 
found.  We  soon  ran  out  of  grub,  and  I  have  lain  at  night 
sick  and  starving  beneath  a  blanket  of  six  inches  of  snow. 
That  was  terrible  hardship  and  danger,  but  it  was  just  as 
common  in  Colorado  as  in  the  Black  Hills  and  as  in 
Alaska.  These  hardships  are  necessary  accompaniments 
of  mining  life. 

"So  far  as  the  cold  weather  is  concerned,  1  venture  to 
say  that  a  steady,  dry  cold  of  50  degrees  below  zero  is  not 
nearly  so  dangerous  as  the  sloppy  slush  and  alternating 
zero  weather  we  have  right  here  in  St.  Louis. 


Richest  Ever  Discovered. 


4'M 


m 


*'The  Alaskan  country  promises  to  be  one  of  the 
richest  gold  fields  ever  discovered.  Wait  until  you  hear 
from  the  next  steamer,  and  you  will  find  the  half  has  not 
been  told. 

"There  are  physiological  reasons  why  this  should  be 
true.  Alaska  has  no  intensely  hot  weather,  and  during  the 
four  months  of  temperate  summer  there  is  no  shifting  of 
sand,  and  the  long  freezing  leaves  the  gold  packed  into  the 
earth  thickly. 

"The  trouble  in  California  and  Colorado  is  that  the 
weather  becomes  so  warm  and  the  summers  are  of  such 
duration  that  the  gravel  and  sand  are  shifted  all  through 
the  valleys,  scattering  the  gold  everywhere.  In  Alaska  all 
this  is  held  in  check  by  the  frozen  condition  of  the  ground. 
Hence  the  gold,  which  is  found  in  the  hills  and  small 
streams,  is  necesf  rily  in  great  quantities.  Where  free- 
milling  ore  runs  down  into  the  valleys,  as  in  California,  and 
expensive  machinery  is  necessary  to  materialize  it,  a  man's 
chances  for  making  money  are  limited.  In  Alaska  no 
machinery  is  required  to  get  gold  from  the  'tarnal  hills.' 


i-       i 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


43 


No  Thieves  Among  Miners. 

**Taik  about  starvation.  No  man  ever  starves  in  a 
mining  camp  unless  he  gets  lost  somewhere  and  cannot  find 
another  human  being.  Every  man's  supply  of  provisions 
is  free  as  air  to  any  and  every  man  who  requires  food.  No 
matter  what  the  hour  of  day  or  night,  the  larder  is  open. 

**There.are  no  thieves  among  miners.  One  may  get 
into  a  fight  and  shoot  another,  but  the  one  who  steals  a 
shovel  or  any  other  valuable  thing,  gets  a  quick  rope  and  a 
short  shift.  The  law  of  the  camp  is  swift  and  deadly 
in  this  respect.  So,  all  provisions  are  somewhat  in  common 
when  necessity  comes,  and  starvation  is  altogether  im- 
probable. 

*•!  know  enough  about  this  sort  of  business  to  be 
thoroughly  satisfied  with  the  practical  character  of  the 
enterprise  I  will  have  in  charge,  and  you  will  hear  from  me 
next  in  Alaska." 


A  SCIENTIFIC  VIEW. 


J.  Edward  Spurr,  of  the   Geological  Survey,  Makes 

His  Report. 


J.  Edward  Spurr,  of  the  Geological  Survey,  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  experts  of  gold  deposits.  He  was 
sent  to  Alaska  by  the  director  of  the  survey  and  given  two 
assistants  to  make  a  special  investigation  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  gold  resources  of  the  Yukon.  The  party 
visited  all  of  the  creeks  and  gulches  of  that  region  known 
to  be  productive  of  gold.  The  area  reconnoitered  em- 
braced over  30,000  square  miles.  Mr.  Spurr's  report  has 
just  been  completed.  It  contains  the  following  of  special 
interest  at  this  time  in  regard  to  the  gold  placers : 

"Since  the  formation  of  the  veins  and  other  deposits 
of  the  rocks  of  the  gold  belt,  an  enormous  length  of  time 


44 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


has  elapsed.  During  that  time  the  forces  of  erosion  have| 
stripped  off  the  overlying  rocks  and  exposed  the  metallifer- 
ous veins  at  the  surface  for  long  periods,  and  the  rocks  of  I 
the  gold  belt,  with  the  veins  which  they  include,  have 
crumbled  and  been  carried  away  by  the  streams,  to  be 
deposited  in  widely  different  places  as  gravels  or  sands  or 
mud. 


What  the  Running  Water  Does. 


•:5l  ;i  :i! 


ifi^'. 


*'As  gold  is  the  heaviest  of  all  material  found  in  rock, 
it  is  concentrated  in  detritus  which  has  been  worked  over 
by  stream  action ;  and  the  richness  of  the  placers  depends 
upon  the  available  gold  supply,  the  amount  of  available 
detritus  and  the  character  of  the  streams  which  carry  the  | 
detritus  away. 

"In  Alaska  the  streams  have  been  carrying  away  the] 
gold  from  the  metalliferous  belt  for  a  very  long  period,  so 
that  particles  of  the  precious  ore  are  found  in  nearly  all 
parts  of  the  territory.  It  is  only  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  gold-bearing  belt,  however,  that  the  particles  of 
gold  are  large  and  plentiful  enough  to  repay  working  under 
present  conditions.  Where  a  stream  heads  in  a  gold  belt 
the  richest  diggings  are  likely  to  be  at  its  extreme  upper 
part. 

*'In  this  upper  part,  the  current  is  so  swift  that  the 
lighter  material  and  the  finer  gold  are  carried  away,  leaving 
in  many  places  a  rich  deposit  of  coarse  gold,  overlaid  by 
coarse  gravel,  the  pebbles  being  so  large  as  to  hinder  rapid 
transportation  by  water.  It  is  under  such  conditions  that 
the  diggings  which  are  now  being  worked  are  found,  with 
some  unimportant  exceptions.  The  rich  gulches  of  the 
Forty-Mile  district  and  of  the  Birch  Creek  district,  as  well 
as  other  fields  of  less  importance,  all  head  in  the  gold- 
bearing  formation. 


L 


erosion  have  I 
e  metallifer- 
;he  rocks  of  I 
elude,   have 
'earns,  to  be 
or  sands  or 


und  in  rock, 
worked  over 
ers  depends 
of  available 
h  carry  the 

ag  away  the  | 
g  period,  so 
Q  nearly  all 
late  vicinity 
particles  of 
•rking  under 
a  gold  belt 
reme  upper 

if  t  that  the 
vay,  leaving 
overlaid  by 
linder  rapid 
ditions  that 
found,  with 
ehes  of  the 
:ict,  as  well 
I   the  gold- 


■<r. 


ai 


J  < 

i5  < 


■I  :  J 


streai 
more 
streai 
and  ii 
I  unde] 
more 
Itity  t 
I  time, 
suita 

value 
farth 
occui 
trem 
dista 
gene 
vicin 


11' 


and 

to  tl 

age: 

up  n 

som< 

quel 

met] 

ever 

the 

8om( 

roclj 

the 


prol 


: !  :ii 


i 


Guide  to  Klondik^s  Gold  Fields. 


4ff 


Finer  Gold  Deposits. 

**A  short  distance  below  the  head  of  these  gulches  the 
[stream  valley  broadens  and  the  gravels  contain  finer  gold 
more  widely  distributed.  Along  certain  parts  of  the 
stream  this  finer  gold  is  concentrated  by  favorable  currents, 
and  is  often  profitably  washed,  this  kind  of  deposit  coming 
under  the  head  of  'bar  diggings.'  The  gold  in  these 
more  extensive  gravels  is  often  present  in  sufficient  quan- 
tity to  encourage  the  hope  of  extraction  at  some  future 
time,  When  the  work  can  be  done  more  cheaply  and  with 
suitable  machinery. 

**The  extent  of  these  gravels  which  are  of  possible 
value  is  very  great.  As  the  field  of  observation  is  extended 
farther  and  farther  from  the  gold-bearing  belt,  the  gold 
occurs  in  finer  and  finer  condition,  until  it  is  found  in  ex- 
tremely small  flakes,  so  light  that  they  can  be  carried  long 
distances  by  the  current.  It  may  be  stated,  therefore,  as  a 
general  rule,  that  the  profitable  gravels  are  found  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  gold-bearing  rock. 

The  Gold  Belt. 

**The  gold-bearing  belt  forms  a  range  of  low  mountains, 
and  on  the  flanks  of  these  mountains  to  the  northeast  and 
to  the  southwest  lie  various  younger  rocks,  which  range  in 
age  from  carboniferous  to  very  recent  tertiary,  are  made 
up  mostly  of  conglomerates,  sandstones  and  shales,  with 
some  volcanic  material.  These  rocks  were  formed  subse- 
quent to  the  ore  deposition,  and,  therefore,  do  not  contain 
metalliferous  veins.  These  have  been  partly  derived,  how- 
ever, from  detritus  worn  from  the  gold-bearing  belt  during 
the  long  period  that  it  has  been  exposed  to  erosion,  and 
some  of  them  contain  gold  derived  from  the  more  ancient 
rocks  and  concentrated  in  the  same  way  as  is  the  gold  in 
the  present  river  gravels." 

Mr.  Spurr  says  further  in  his  report  that  there  were 
probably  2,000  miners  in  the  Yukon  district  during  the 


i 


46 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


season  of  1896,  the  larger  number  of  whom  were  actually 
engaged  in  washing  gold.  Piobably  1,500  of  thorn  were 
working  in  American  territory,  although  the  migration 
from  one  district  to  another  is  so  rapid  that  one  year  the 
larger  part  of  the  population  may  be  in  American  territory 
and  the  next  year  in  British.  As  a  rule,  however,  the 
miners  prefer  the  American  side  on  account  of  the  differ- 
ence in  mining  lawSc  These  miners,  with  few  exceptions, 
are  engaged  in  gulch  diggings. 


iiili 


1 

1 

' 

i 


Overland  Route  Suggested. 

The  high  price  of  provisions  and  other  necessaries 
raises  the  price  of  ordinary  labor  in  the  mines  to  1 10  a  day, 
and,  therefore,  no  mine  which  pays  less  than  this  to  each 
man  working  can  be  even  temporarily  handled.  Yet,  iu 
spite  of  these  di^culties,  there  was  probably  taken  out  of 
the  Yukon  districi  the  season  of  which  he  reports,  mostly 
from  Ameiican  territory,  approximately  $1,000,000  worth 
of  gold. 

Mr.  Spurr  suggests  that  an  overland  route  should  be 
sur/eyed  and  constructed  to  the  interior  of  Alaska.  He 
says  all  ii»e  best  routes  that  can  be  suggested  pass  through 
British  territory,  and  the  co-operation  of  the  two  govern- 
ments would  be  mutually  beneficial,  since  the  gold  belt  lies 
partly  in  American  and  partly  in  British  possessions.  At 
the  present  time  Mr.  Spurr  thinks  that  the  best  route  lies 
from  Juneau,  by  way  of  the  i^ailkat  Pass  overland  to  the 
Yukon  at  the  junction  of  the  Pelly.  This  is  the  Dalton 
Pass.  The  Chilkat  Pass  is  considerable  lower  than  the 
Chilkoot,  over  which  the  geological  survey  party  of  1806 
passed. 

Wagon  Road  Wanted. 

If  a  wagon  road,  or  even  a  good  horse  trail,  could  be 
built,  as  indicated,  the  cost  of  provisions  and  other  supplies 
would  be  greatly  reduced,  many  gravels  now  useless  could 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


47 


be  profitably  worked,  and  employment  would  be  afforded 
to  many  men.  With  the  greater  development  of  places  of 
diggings  would  come  the  develcpment  of  mines  in  the  bed- 
rock. 

The  report  says  that  in  summer  the  climate  is  hardly 
to  be  distinguished  from  that  of  the  Northern  United 
States,  Minnesota  or  Montana,  for  example,  and  although 
the  winters  are  very  severe,  the  snowfall  is  not  heavy. 
Work  could  be  carried  on  under  ground  throughout  the 
whole  of  the  year  quite  as  well  as  in  the  mountains  of  Colo- 
rado. 

Mr.  Spurr  says  gold  is  known  to  occur  in  the  great  un- 
explored regions  south  of  the  Yukon  because  its  presence 
in  the  w^sh  of  the  streams,  and  it  is  quite  probable  that  the 
Yukon  gold  belt  extends  to  the  north  and  west,  but  this 
can  be  determined  only  by  further  exploration.  That  a 
second  California  gold  belt  exists  in  Alaska,  he  states,  may 
not  be  probable,  but  the  prospect  of  a  steady  yield  of  gold 
is  certain. 


WHITE  PASS  RAILROAD. 


An   English   Company   Puts  a  Promising   Project  on 

Foot. 


Mr.  C.  H.  Wilkinson,  Canadian  representative  of  t\ie 
British  Yukon  Mining,  Trading  and  Transportatian  Com- 
pany, which  company  received  incorporation  at  Ottawa  a 
few  weeks  ago,  says  it  is  the  intention  of  his  company  to 
proceed  at  once  with  the  construction  of  a  railroad  con- 
necting the  Yukon  with  the  coast.  The  road  will  be  built 
from  deep-sea  water  at  the  head  of  the  *«Lynn  Canal,"  an 
arm  of  the  Behr  ng  Sea,  across  the  White  Pass  to  the 
headwaters  of  the  Yukon  River,  a  distance,  of  fifty  miles. 


'^f!i 


mil'! 


48 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


ii 


i  ■'»'■' 


ill 


Will  Build  Next  Summer. 

Mr.Wilkinson  stated  that  engineers  of  the  British  Yukon 
Company  are  now  surveying  the  proposed  route  through 
the  White  Pass,  and  that  the  construction  of  a  wagon  road, 
the  preliminary  to  the  building  of  the  railroad,  will  be 
begun  early  next  summer.  From  the  point  on  the  Yukon 
River  which  will  be  the  interior  terminus  of  the  road  to 
the  Klondike  region  the  distance  is  650  miles.  This  is 
easily  navigable  by  boats  and  canoes  in  summer,  and  in  the 
winter  the  driving  on  the  ice  affords  a  satisfactory  means 
of  communication. 

The  British  Yukon  Mining,  Trading  and  Transporta- 
tion Company  was  organized  in  London  about  tw^  years 
ago.  Its  capitalization  is  £1,000,000,  and  the  shareholders 
are  wealthy  Englishmen,  including  prominent  bankers  and 
fifteen  members  of  the  British  House  of  Commons. 
Mr.  Wilkinson  stated  that  the  company  had  asked  the 
Dominion  Government  to  guarantee  3  per  cent,  interest  on 
its  debentures  to  the  extent  of  $1,500,000,  which  amount 
is  the  estimated  cost  of  the  construction  of  the  road 
through  the  White  Pass.  The  government  has  not  yet 
returned  a  definite  reply  to  the  request,  desiring  first  to 
obtain  certain  data  as  to  the  proposed  route.  Mr.  Wilkin- 
son, however,  anticipates  a  favorable  reception  of  his 
proposition. 

Grade  of  Twelve  Feet  to  the  Mile. 

At  all  events,  and  irrespective  of  any  action  that  the 
Dominion  Government  may  or  ma ;/  not  take,  Mr.  Wilkin- 
son declares  that  his  company  is  going  ahead  with  the  work, 
and  will  start  to  build  the  wagon  road  as  soon  as  the  season 
opens  next  spring.  The  company  already  has  a  pack  trail 
over  the  White  Pass  from  the  "Lynn  Canal"  to  the  Yukon, 
but  the  trail,  of  course,  does  not  permit  of  wagon  transpor- 
tation, and  the  '^packing"  of  mining  material  and  provi- 
sions is  very  expensive. 


V  a 


shYukon 

through 

^on  road, 

will  be 

e  Yukon 

road  to 

This  is 

nd  in  the 

py  means 

ansporta- 
w^  years 
reholders 
ikers  and 
lommons. 
sked  the 
iterest  on 
1  amount 
the  road 
}  not  yet 
g  first  to 
.  Wilkin- 
n   of   his 


that  the 
.  Wilkin- 
:he  work, 
lie  season 
Jack  trail 
e  Yukon, 
transpor- 
ad  provi- 


o 


■^ 

^ 


o 


< 

D 


i-l 
td 


Q 
iJ 
O 

a 

a: 
o 

b 
H 

o 

O 
'A 

h 
H 

b 
H 

o 


li 


wm 


iiill 


1 

Yukoi 
presei 
have  1 
only  I 
miles, 
cessiv 
that  t 
less  t 
the  SI 
condu 


KIODC 

in  go 
and  tl 
exploi 
for  ni 
miain 
not  t 
five  t( 
nothi] 
as,  in 

I 
fire  ai 
suppl 
but  a 
posits 
on  th 

I 
est  d( 
adian 
along 
cans, 
Amei 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


49 


The  construction  of  a  railroad  from  the  coast  to  the 
Yukon  through  the  White  Pass,  it  is  declared,  would  not 
present  many  engineering  difficulties.  The  engineers  who 
have  been  surveying  the  route  say  that  the  gradient  will  be 
only  about  300  feet,  spread  over  a  distance  of  twenty-five 
miles,  or  twelve  feet  to  the  mile,  not  by  any  means  an  ex- 
cessive grade.  Mr.  Wilkinson  does  not  think,  however, 
that  the  road  could  be  built,  except  at  extravagant  cost,  in 
less  time  than  two  years,  on  account  of  the  shortness  of 
the  summer  season,  when  operations  could  be  economically 
conducted. 

Miners  Work  all  the  Year  Round. 

Mr.  Wilkinson  is  enthusiastic  as  to  the  future  of  the 
Klondike.  He  belifcves  that  the  country  up  North  is  richer 
in  gold  than  any  other  fields  of  ancient  or  modern  times, 
and  that  richer  deposits  will  yet  be  found  than  any  so  far 
exploited.  As  to  the  statement  quite  frequently  made  that 
for  nine  months  of  the  year  the  country  is  frozen  up  and 
mining  impossible,  he  says  that  such  is  most  emphatically 
not  the  case.  In  the  first  place,  the  river  is  open  from 
five  to  seven  months  of  the  year,  and  secondly,  there  is 
nothing  to  prevent  miners  from  working  all  the  year  round, 
as,  indeed,  they  have  been  doing. 

In  the  winter  time  all  that  has  to  be  done  is  to  build  a 
fire  and  thaw  the  sand  till  it  is  easily  workable.  The  wood 
supply  in  that  part  of  the  country  is  not  very  extensive, 
but  a  substitute  is  provided  ready  at  hand  in  the  large  de- 
posits of  coal  which  abound  in  the  region,  much  of  it  right 
on  the  surface. 

It  is  assumed  here  that  there  does  not  exist  the  slight- 
est doubt  as  to  the  Klondike  region  being  well  within  Can- 
adian territory.  Indeed,  it  would  appear  that  such  has  all 
along  been  recognized  as  being  the  case,  even  by  Ameri- 
cans, for  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company  and  the  North 
American  Transportation  and    Trading    Company,   both 


11 


50 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


m\ 


h: 


I     K 
i 


1^     " 


United  States  concerns ,  have  paid  customs  caties  to  the 
Canadian  authorities  since  1894.  Miners  on  creeks  very 
much  nearer  the  boundary  than  the  Klondike  have  accepted 
this  interpretation  of  the  line,  and  have  quietly  paid  their 
fees  to  the  Canadian  Government. 

Buying  Horses  for  Klondike  Trade. 

Cattlemen  of  the  Northwest  are  realizing  fortunes 
buying  horses  for  the  Klondike  trade.  Horses  that  could 
not  be  sold  at  any  price  a  short  time  ago  are  now  snapped 
up  at  from  $20  to  $40.  Some  of  the  horse  dealers  and 
cattlemen  have  cleared  up  over  $10,000  on  horses  already, 
and  it  is  stated  the  rush  for  pack  horses  has  only  started. 
Heretofore  horses  in  the  Northwest  have  been  so  plentiful 
that  they  were  bought  in  by  the  thousand  at  $1  to  $2  a 
head,  and  were  killed  and  canned  in  order  to  get  them  out 
of  the  way  to  save  the  grass.  Now  they  are  to  be  used  for 
packing  supplies  to  the  Klondike,  and,  after  the  snow 
renders  them  valueless  for  packing  purposes,  they  will  be 
killed  and  sold  for  dog  meat  at  10  cents  per  pound. 


■  ■«!  ; 


[| 


LETTER  FROM  FRANK  LORY. 


IVIiners  at  Dawson  Spend  Their  IVloney  Like  Dirt. 


The  parents  of  Frank  Lory,  of  Petersburg,  Ind.,  have 
received  a  letter  from  him  written  at  Dawson  City,  June 
14.    He  says : 

"I  am  contented  to  remain  here  until  I  can  take  things 
easy  when  I  return.  I  am  working  in  a  tin  shop  at  $15  a 
day,  and  yet  it  seems  small  in  comparison  with  those  who 
have  claims,  where  they  take  out  $1,000  a  day,  I  am 
going  to  buy  grub  for  the  winter  and  then  go  up  the 
Stewart  River  300  or  400  miles.  I  will  come  home  next 
winter  if  I  can,  get  married  and  return. 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


51 


s  to  the 
iks  very 
accepted 
lid  their 


fortunes 
at  could 
snapped 
lers  and 
already, 
started, 
plentiful 
L  to  $2  a 
;hem  out 
used  for 
lie  snow 
f  will  be 
3. 


"Anybody  can  get  work  here.  Everybody  has  a  little 
sack  of  gold,  and  when  you  buy  anything  you  pay  for  it  in 
gold.  The  miners  spend  their  money  like  dirt.  They  will 
go  into  a  saloon  and  call  everybody  up  to  drink.  Those 
who  have  rich  claims  will  stand  in  a  faro  game  and  lose 
thousands  of  dollars  before  they  leave.  I  saw  one  man 
yesterday  lose  $3,000.  He  was  drunk.  He  had  sold  his 
claim  for  $50,000,  and  was  crying  because  he  was  afraid 
he  would  not  live  to  spend  it. 

"The  climate  now  is  fine.  The  sun  shines  twenty-two 
hours  out  of  twenty-four,  and  it  is  never  dark.  You  can- 
not tell  when  dark  comes. 

"You  do  not  see  any  money  less  than  a  50-cent  piece. 
There  is  nothing  in  a  store  that  sells  for  less.  We  were 
offered  $160  a  hundred  for  our  bacon.  The  boat  came  up 
to-day,  but  had  no  meat.  Eggs  are  worth  $17  a  dozen.  It 
costs  me  a  dollar  to  send  this  letter,  as  it  did  for  the  other 
two  I  wrote  you.  I  have  had  seven  jobs  offered  me  since 
I  came  here  to  go  to  Circle  City  at  $12.50  a  day  and  board. 

"There  are  thousands  of  mosquitoes  here.  We  have 
to  keep  nets  over  our  faces  and  gloves  on  our  hands  all 
the  time.  Do  not  try  to  send  me  any  newspapers,  as  they 
do  not  carry  them  through  the  mails  up  here." 


; 


B  Dirt. 

id.,  have 
ty,  June 

ke  things 
at  $15  a 
Lose  who 
,  I  am 
up  the 
»me  next 


PROPOSED  TELEGRAPH. 


Californlans  Propose  to  Lay  a  Wire  From  Juneau 

to  Dawson  City. 


One  of  the  latest  Alaskan  enterprises  formulated  is 
that  of  the  Alaska  Telegraph  and  Telephone  Company, 
which  proposes  to  incorporate  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
structing temporary  telegraph  lines  from  Juneau  to  Dawson 
City.  The  capital  stock  to  be  subscribed  is  $50,000,  and 
the  company  is  to  be  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the 


52 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


State  of  California.  At  the  head  of  the  enterprise  are 
J.  W.  Wright,  a  local  real  estate  dealer;  C.  W.  Wright, 
of  Larkspur,  and  D.  E.  Bohannon.  The  last  named  is  to 
act  as  the  advance  agent  and  chief  constructor  for  the 
company. 

Mr.  Bohannon  explained  the  details  of  the  construction 
of  the  new  telegraph  line:  '<Our  method  is  very  simple," 
he  said.  **The  line  is  to  be  constructed  on  the  same  plans 
as  the  ordinary  military  line  used  by  armies  for  war 
purposes.  We  have  a  wire  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick  and 
covered  with  a  kerite  insulation,  which  has  proved  able  to 
stand  the  rigorous  climatic  conditions  prevailing  in  Alaska. 
The  wire  is  wound  upon  large  reels,  the  same  as  an 
ordinary  telegraph  wire,  and  these  coils  are  to  be  placed 
on  dog  sleds  and  dragged  over  the  ice  and  snow.  As  we 
go  along  the  reels  will  simply  pay  out  the  loose  wire  and 
run  it  along  the  ground,  and  thus  our  line  will  be  through 
in  something  like  six  weeks,  the  time  consumed  in  the 
ordinary  tramp  over  the  country." 

Mr.  Bohannon  expects  to  leave  for  Juneau  in  the  near 
future,  and  will  commence  operations  immediately  upon 
his  arrival  there. 


'.iiii 


"PAPA"  COBB'S  DISCOVERY. 


An  Old  Harvard  Man  the  Finder  of  El  Dorado  Creek. 


El  Dorado  Creek,  where  lie  the  richest  placers  in  the 
fabulously  rich  Klondike  district,  was  discovered  and 
named  by  a  Harvard  man.  The  Harvard  man  was  none 
other  than  F.  W.  Cobb,  who  was  a  famous  quarter-back  in 
the  Harvard  eleven  in  the  early  90s.  He  came  to  the 
Pacific  coast  in  1894,  and,  after  drifting  around  about  a 
year,  working  on  newspapers  at  the  pittance  of  $7  per 
week,  left  in  March,  1895,  for  Alaska.  Cobb  was  well 
known  all  over  the  East.     He  was  one  of  the  best  of  Har- 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


53 


yard's  quarter-backs,  and  was  considered  a  splendid  all- 
round  athlete. 

Worked  for  $7  a  Week. 

Cobb's  life  on  the  Northern  Pacific  coast  and  in  Alaska 
reads  like  a  romance.  From  straitened  circumstances  he 
has  folio vved  his  streak  of  luck,  till  now  he  is  independently 
rich  and  amply  able  to  gratify  all  the  luxurious  tastes  of 
his  nature.  Cobb  was  known  here  as  "Papa"  Cobb.  He 
struck  Seattle  in  1894,  and,  after  trying  to  gain  employ- 
ment in  various  lines,  became  a  member  of  the  Seattle 
Athletic  Club.  He  was  not  successful  in  procuring  a  per- 
manent position,  but  his  judgment  and  ability  as  a  foot-ball 
player  made  his  position  in  society  secure.  Finally,  he 
was  employed  on  an  afternoon  newspaper  to  contribute 
sporting  matter  at  $7  per  week. 

"Dead  Broke"  in  the  Frozen  North. 

Cobb  is  a  man  of  considerable  spirit  and  independence. 
He  could  not  stand  this  sort  of  thing  for  long,  and  finally 
determined  to  seek  his  fortune  in  Alaska.  He  secured 
enough  funds  from  Eastern  and  New  York  relatives  to 
purchase  an  outfit  and  provisions,  and  sailed,  March  17, 
1895.  Cobb's  first  experiences  in  Alaska  were  similar  to 
those  of  the  average  '* tenderfoot."  He  drifted  about 
from  place  to  place,  finally  reaching  Circle  City  last 
summer.  He  was  without  funds,  and  looked  forward  to 
spending  the  winter  in  the  frozen  North  almost  dependent 
upon  the  generosity  of  the  friends  he  made  in  the  region. 
He  secured  work  at  living  wages  until  the  late  fall,  and  was 
one  of  the  first  to  reach  the  new  diggings  on  the  Klondike 
in  September  last.  The  news  of  the  great  strike  on  the 
Klondike  reached  Circle  City  early  in  September.  Cobb 
hurried  up  the  Yukon,  traveling  day  and  night,  and 
carrying  only  the  barest  necessities  in  the  way  of  supplies. 
He  reached  the  mouth  of  Bonanza  Creek,  five  miles  above 


la 


!  ; 


54 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


I  ■', 
I* 


I  n' 


11! 


Dawson  City,  only  to  find  that  the  best  locations  had  be«n 
filed  on.  His  last  supplies  were  almost  gone,  and  there 
were  little  or  no  provisions  in  the  country. 

Met  Frank  Phisoator,  of  Michigan. 

In  his  emergency  Cobb  met  Frank  Phiscator,  the 
Michigan  farmer  who  came  out  on  the  Portland  Saturday 
with  $96,000.  ^^hiscator  had  just  reached  the  new  diggings, 
and  was  looking  for  a  partner.  The  two  struck  up  a 
friendship.  Phiscator  agreed  to  prospect  up  the  Klondike 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Bonanza,  while  Cobb  followed  the 
latter  stream  to  its  confines  with  El  Dorado,  nine  miles  up. 
Each  agreed  to  share  with  the  other.  A  week  after  they 
parted  Cobb  had  located  a  claim  on  El  Dorado,  and  was 
thereby  entitled  by  right  of  discovery  to  twice  the  amount 
of  ground  usually  allotted.  He  hurried  down  to  the  mouth 
of  the  creek  and  found  Phiscator,  returning  from  a  fruit- 
less search  after  gold.  He  told  Phiscator  of  his  find,  and 
the  two  men  hurried  to  Cobb's  claim.  Phiscator  located 
alongside  of  Cobb.  The  two  men  began  work  at  once, 
the  pans  running  as  high  as  $10  on  the  surface. 

<'We  Will  Call  it  El  Dorado." 

They  had  struck  it  rich.  Laying  down  his  shovel 
after  the  second  day's  prospecting,  Cobb  said: 

"Frank,  this  creek  is  studded  with  gold  from  here  to 
headwaters.     We  will  call  it  El  Dorado." 

And  so  it  has  been  known  from  that  time  on. 


WHOLE  SITUATION  REVIEWED. 


Is  it  Worth  While  for  a  Young   Amerioan    to   Taice 

the  Chance? 


The  United  States  government  in  1867  paid  Eussia 
$7,200,000  for  the  territory  of  Alaska. 


< 

pa 

■  a 

ti.  Ill 

o    < 
<   J 


^ 


o 


o 


■H  u. 


O 


7)    <; 

5  « 

O    H 


times 
of  th< 
yello^ 


froze 

been 

Plutc 

trans! 

and  a 

tongi 

buth 

and  r 

with 

new  ( 

Peak 

of '9^ 

of '4J 

and  d 

fort! 

ands, 

wrest 


1 
Alasli 
affor( 
of  th< 
richej 
•than 
boun< 
attacl 
weste 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


55 


Alaska  V.aa  paid  back  her  purchase  money  in  gold  four 
times,  having  produced  during  the  time  it  has  been  a  part 
of  the  United  States  about  $30,000,000  of  the  precious 
yellow  metal. 

"The  Days  of  *97." 

To-day  the  eyes  of  the  world  are  turned  toward  our 
frozen  acquisition  in  the  North,  for  within  its  borders  has 
been  discovered  an  El  Dorado,  seemingly  "richer  than 
Pluto's  mine."  Ten  days  ago  the  word  Klondike,  literally 
translated  meaning  deer  river,  was  known  to  geographers 
and  a  few  miners  on  the  Yukon ;  to-day,  it  is  on  every 
tongue  and  is  known  as  the  designation,  if  the  reports  be 
but  half  true,  for  a  gold-bearing  district  greater  in  area 
and  richer  in  character  than  any  the  world  has  known, 
with  the  possible  exception  of  California.  Klondike  is  the 
new  open  sesame  to  Aladdin's  cave;  it  supplants  "Pike's 
Peak  or  bust"  in  the  gold  seeker's  vernacular.  "The  days 
of  '97"  may  become  as  celebrated  a  phrase  as  "the  days 
of  '49,"  for  the  same  fever  that  seized  upon  the  people 
and  dotted  the  western  prairies  with  emigrant  trains,  bound 
for  the  Pacific  coast,  is  now  claiming  victims  by  the  thous- 
ands, all  eager  to  brave  the  perils  of  the  Arctic  Circle  and 
wrest  a  fortune  from  the  frozen  zone. 


Compared  With  "the  Days  of  '49." 

The  reported  gold  discoveries  of  the  present  day  in 
Alaska  and  the  reported  gold  dicoveries  of  '49  in  California 
afford  many  parallels.  To  the  average  man  the  treasures 
of  the  coast  state  were  seemingly  as  inaccessible  as  are  the 
riches  of  the  Yukon  and  its  tributaries.  One  was  more 
'than  2,000  miles  across  a  trackless  desert  and  over  snow- 
bound mountain  passes,  beset  by  savages,  whose  deadly 
attack  marked  the  trail  with  bleaching  bones  across  the 
western  states;  the  other  is  nearly  7,000  miles  by  water. 


56 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


m 


''S.I* 


(":| 


m 


through  a  rigorous  climate,  or  almost  4,000  miles  by  land 
and  water,  with  mountain  passes  to  scale  as  dangerous  as 
those  of  the  Swiss  Alps. 

A  Panful  Worth  $212. 

The  fabulous  tales  of  wealth  sent  out  by  the  California 
pioneers  were  no  less  wonderful  than  those  brought  back 
by  the  men  who  braved  the  last  cold  season  in  the  Klondike 
mineral  belt,  and  in  both  cases  those  who  returned  brought 
back  with  them  great  nuggets  of  the  precious  stuff  that  left 
little  or  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  the  hearer.  The  Califor- 
nia miner  in  the  song  who  had  so  many  naggets  that  he 
was  accustomed  to  go  "a  hatful  blind"  finds  his  parallel  in 
the  Youkon  miner  who  claims  to  have  "washed  out  $212  in 
one  panful  of  dirt — a  process  thut  requires  ten  or  twelve 
minutes. 

Poor  Man's  Mines. 

The  Alaska  and  California  gold  fields  are  alike  also  in 
being  placer  mines.  Placer  mining  in  commonly  called 
"poor  man's  mining,','  for  the  reason  thiit  it  is  done  without 
machinery,  while  the  implements  required  in  the  work  are 
few  and  of  sr>ill  cost.  A  placer  miner  can  get  along  very 
well  with  a  pick,  shovel  and  gold  pan.  If  the  dirt  is  not 
rich  he  can  accomplish  better  results  by  running  it  through 
a  sluice  box,  but  where  the  jield  is  in  nuggets  instead  of 
fine  gold  he  prefers  to  "pen"  it. 

News  Nine  Months  Old. 

The  great  Klondike  strike  was  made  nine  months  ago, 
but  nothing  was  kiiown  of  it  in  the  United  States  until 
June  15,  when  a  vessel  «^alled  the  Excelsior  arrived  in  San 
Francisco  laden  with  miners  from  the  Klondike,  who  in 
turn  were  laden  with  gold.  • 

They  told  almosi,  incredible  tales  of  the  richness  of 
the  newly  discovered  district,  where  fortunes  had  been  ac- 
cumuiated   in   a   few   months.     Experienced  miners   and 


GuiDF.  TO  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


57 


''tenderfeet"  seemed  to  have  shared  good  fortune  alike, 
and  with  some  justice,  too,  for  the  credit  of  the  discovery 
of  the  new  f^Md  fields  is  due  to  the  inexperienced  men. 

Another  vessel  brought  to  Seattle  a  second  party  of 
successful  prospectors  and  a  ton  and  a  half  of  gold.  These 
men  had  endured  peril  and  undergone  great  hardships  in 
accumulating  the  fortunes  they  brought,  and  thay  told  a 
story  that  had  a  dark  as  well  as  a  bright  side.  To  follow 
their  example  means  a  risk  of  wealth,  health  and  even  life, 
but  for  those  who  are  willing  to  take  the  chances  the  pros- 
pect they  hold  out  is  alluring. 

Where  is  the  Klondike  District? 

Where  are  the  richest  of  the  mines  in  the  Alaska 
region  ? 

They  seem  to  be  in  the  Klondike,  a  few  miles  over  the 
British  border.  They  were  discovered,  as  has  been  said, 
by  a  party  of  "tenderfeet,"  who,  against  the  advice  of  the 
old-timers  in  the  district,  wandered  "over  yonder  in  the 
Klondike"  and  struck  it  rich.  From  Klondike  comes  much 
of  the  gold  and  from  Klondike  seems  to  come  all  the  ex- 
citement. A  few  "tenderfeet,"  going  it  blind,  have  stirred 
up  the  nation.  Out  of  the  region  of  their  discovery  has 
come,  it  is  estimated,  $2,000,000  worth  of  geld  during  the 
present  summer.  Nearly  all  of  that  gold  has  found  its 
way  into  the  United  States. 

It  is  hard  to  tell  where  the  Alaska  gold  fields  are 
located  except  that  in  a  general  way  the  best  of  them  are 
along  the  Yukon.  There  are  a  few  "lode"  mines  near 
Juneau  and  along  the  southeast  coast  of  the  territory  (the 
most  accessible  part  of  it),  but  the  ore  is  of  low  grade  and 
mining  is  made  profitable  only  by  the  most  careful  man- 
agement. 

Region  is  Littie  Known. 

The  placer  mines,  from  which  prospectors  are  said  now 
to  je  lining  their  pockets  with  gold,  occupy,  the  prominent 


58 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


place  in  the  popular  mind.  These  are  in  the  region  remote 
from  civilization,  little  known,  and,  on  account  of  its  un- 
certainties, dangerously  alluring  to  the  average  man.  This 
gold-producing  country  of  the  interior  is  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Yukon  near  where  that  great  river  turns  to  the  west  in 
its  course  to  the  sea.  Before  the  discoveries  in  the  Klon- 
dike the  most  productive  districts  had  been  along  Forty- 
Mile  Creek,  partly  in  British  and  partly  in  American 
territory,  and  the  Birch  Creek  district  ']  in  American 
territory. 

Along  all  of  the  rivers  in  this  region,  tributaries  to  the 
Yukon,  gold  diggings  exist  and  in  many  places  pay  the 
prospector  well  for  his  trouble. 

Broad  Belt  of  Gold  Producing  Rock. 

Cook's  Inlet  is  another  place  where  the  rumors  of 
gold  has  caused  crowds  of  unprepared  men  to  flock,  but 
the  district  has  not  exactly  borne  out  the  reputation  given 
to  it  by  early  prospectors. 

In  all  the  immense  country  over  which  the  placer  min- 
ing extends  it  is  estimated  that  up  to  last  year  there  were 
2.000  miners.  The  districts  in  which  most  of  them  worked 
were  in  a  broad  belt  of  gold-producing  rock,  through  which 
quartz  veins  carrying  gold  occur  frequently.  Through  the 
gold-bearing  rocks  the  streams  have  cut  deep  gullies  and 
canyons,  and  in  their  beds  the  gold  which  was  contained  in 
the  rock  is  concentrated.  The  mining  of  this  country  con- 
sists, therefore,  in  washing  out  the  gravel  of  these  beds. 

We're  Just  Hearing  the  News. 

So  the  miners  worked,  being  fairly  well  paid  for  their 
labor,  until  the  "tenderfeet  made  the  Klondike  discovery. 
That  was  nine  months  or  so  ago,  and  the  news  of  it  is  just 
reaching  the  outside  world.  It  was  not  long  in  reaching 
the  miners  along  Forty-Mile  and  Birch  Creeks,  though,  and 
they  shouldered  their  picks  and  moved  forward  in  a  wild 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


59 


rush  at  the  first  word  of  the  new  lucky  strike.  As  a  result 
gold  dust  and  nuggets  by  the  ton  are  turned  into  the  mints 
out  on  the  coast,  and  men  who  never  before  rose  above  the 
level  of  the  commonest  of  miners  have  .come  back  to  civil- 
ization and  comfort  loaded  with  gold  to  last  them  a  lifetime. 

Came  Home  on  the  Excelsior. 

Take  as  an  illustration  this  list  of  returned 
came  on  the  Excelsior : 


returned 

miners  who 

Brought 

Ironi 
Alaska. 

Value 

of 
claims. 

65,000 
90,000 
10,000 

$1,000,000 
500,000 
500,000 

T.  S.  Lippy  

F.  G.  H.  Bowker 

Joe  La  Due 

J.  B.  Hollinseed 25,500 

William  Kilju 17,000  

James  McMann 15,000  

Albert  Galbraith 15,000  

Neil  Macarthur 15,000  

Douglas  Macarthur  15,000  

Bernard  Anderson 14,000  35,000 

Robert  Krook 14,000  20,000 

Fred  Lendesser 13,000  

Alexander  Orr  11,500 

John  Marks    11,500  

Thomas  Cook 10,000  25,000 

M.  S.  Norcross 10,000  

J.Ernmerger  10,000  

Co'i  Stamatiu «,250  

Albert  Fox 5,100        •    35,000 

Greg  Stewart 5,000  20,000 

J,  O.  Hestwood 5,000  250,000 

Thomas  Flack  5,000  50,000 

Louis  B.  Rhoads 5,000  35,000 

i^red  Price 5,000  20,000 

Alaska  Commercial  Company 250,000  

Total $649",850 

A  Perilous  Journey. 

Kvery  one  of  these  men  has  a  story  to  tell  of  the  vast 
riches  of  the  new  gold  fields,  but  they  tell  another  story, 


60 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


'-  I 


too — a  story  of  hardship,  trial  and  suffering  through  long 
winter  days,  when  the  sun  was  smiling  on  this  earth's  other 
pole  and  leaving  them  in  miserable  cold  and  darkness. 
They  tell  a  story  of  prodigious  travels,  of  staggering  jour- 
neys and  the  dangers  that  beset  the  traveler.  They  tell 
what  a  trip  it  is  to  reach  the  gold  fields,  and  when  they  get 
through  the  faint-hearted  prospector  who  isn't  thoroughly 
convinced  that  he  wants  to  undergo  the  trial  decides  to 
forego  the  trip  to  Alaska  and  dig  up  his  wealth  at  home  or 
go  without.  Some  of  the  gold-mad  adventurers,  though, 
rush  on  unheeding,  crowding  into  the  Alaska-bound 
steamers  without  anything  like  enough  supplies  or  enough 
money  to  see  them  through  ten  days  of  travel  on  land. 
Miners  who  have  been  there  say  that  such  as  those  will 
perish. 

The  Best  Way  to  Go. 

What  is  the  best  way  to  reach  the  new  gold  fields 
from  a  point  in  the  United  States? 

There  are  two  genera'  routes  to  the  Klondike  district. 
Both  go  by  way  of  the  Great  Northern  R.  R.  to  Seattle, 
and  there  diverge.  One  goe^  !)y  ocean  steamer  west  and  a 
little  north,  and  passes  throng  Dutch  Harbor,  at  the  ex- 
treme end  of  the  southwest  Alaskan  peninsula.  From 
there  the  steamer  turns  north  and  continues  on  to  St. 
Michaels  Island,  a  little  above  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon,  in 
Behring  Sea.  At  ths:  joint  passengers  are  transferred  to 
the  river  steamers  ti  i^ia  the  long  journej  up  the  Yukon, 
which  winds  northward  and  eastward,  and  finally  brings 
the  traveler  to  Dawson  City,  now  the  principal  town  in 
the  mining  district,  although  sixty-five  miles  from  the 
Klondike  fields. 


Cost  of  Transportation. 

The  cost  of  the  trip  from  Chicago,  this  way,  &s  pros- 
pecting miners  usually  travel,  is  $2ol.a0.     It  is  divided  as 


XI 


o 


111 


o 

o 

T. 


follow 
from  k 
Ib 
to  Sea 
ten  up 
distant 
SeattL 
up  the 


T 

is  shoi 
and  a 
sails  r 
from  i 
mount 
rival  i 
sails  H 
of  twe 
half-in 
climbi] 
to  the 
to  pacl 


A 

reache 
boats  1 
pay  tl 
boats, 
feet,  a 
will  an 
saws  ai 
a  saw 
To  CO] 
some  I 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


61 


follows:     From  Chicago  to  Seattle  (second class),  $51.50; 
from  Seattle  to  Dawson  City,  $200. 

In  time  the  trip  requires  thirty  days — fom*  from  Chicago 
to  Seattle,  sixteen  from  Seattle  to  St.  Michaels  Island,  and 
ten  up  the  Yukon  to  Dawson  City,  by  the  fast  boat.  The 
distance  in  general  figures  is  2,250  miles  from  Chicago  to 
Seattle,  2,500  miles  to  St.  Michaels  Island  and  1,890  miles 
up  the  Yukon  to  Dawson,  a  total  of  about  6, GOO  miles. 


The  "Mountain"  Route. 

The  other  way  to  the  Klondike,  the  '^mountain  route," 
is  shorter  in  miles,  but  equally  long  in  the  time  it  requires 
and  a  great  deal  more  difficult.  By  this  route  the  traveler 
sails  more  directly  north  to  Juneau,  which  is  891)  miles 
from  Seattle,  and  then  goes  by  lake  and  river  and  over  the 
mountains  1,000  miles  to  the  new  raining  territory.  On  ar- 
rival at  Juneau,  the  traveler  changes  to  a  smaller  boat  and 
sails  100  miles  north  to  Dyea.  From  there  he  has  a  portage 
of  twenty-seven  miles  through  the  Chilkat  Pass.  The  last 
half-mile  of  this  pass  is  over  a  glacier  and  the  severest  of 
climbing.  Chilkat  Indians  are  employed  to  pack  supplies 
to  the  top  of  the  pass,  but  from  there  on  the  traveler  has 
to  pack  his  own  load. 

Buy  a  Boat  for  $75. 

After  getting  through  the  Chilkat  Pass  the  traveler 
reaches  Lake  Lindermann.  At  that  point  is  a  saw  mill  where 
boats  are  sold  for  $75  each.  Travelers  who  do  not  care  to 
pay  that  price  can  purchase  lumber  and  build  their  own 
boats.  The  lumber  can  be  bought  for  $100  a  thousand 
feet,  and  about  500  feet  are  required  to  build  a  boat  that 
will  answer  the  purpose.  Still  other  travelers  carry  whip- 
saws  and  get  out  their  own  lumber,  and  a  man  handy  with 
a  saw  and  hammer  can  build  a  boat  in  three  or  four  days. 
To  continue  the  trip,  though,  a  boat  is  necessarjT^,  and  by 
some  means  or  other  one  must  be  had. 


62 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


Portages  on  the  Route. 

After  securing  his  boat  the  traveler  floats  down  Lake 
Lindermann  and  Lake  Bennett  and  then  has  half  a  mile  of 
portage,  where  his  boat  has  to  be  moved  on  rollers.  There 
is  any  amount  of  rollers  to  be  had,  though,  for  earlier 
boaters  of  the  path  have  left  them.  This  half  mile  over- 
land brings  the  traveler  to  Lake  Tagish,  through  which  he 
goes  six  miles,  and  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  portage,  to 
Mud  Lake  and  on  to  the  White  Horse  Rapids.  Here  there 
is  another  portage  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  and  the 
traveler  brings  his  boat  to  Lake  Labarge.  From  there  on 
the  journey  is  through  Thirty-Mile  River,  the  Lewis  River, 
150  m'les  to  Five-Finger  Rapids,  to  the  Yukon  at  Fort 
Selkirk,  and  then  down  stream  250  miles  to  Dawson. 


Expense  of  This  Trip. 

The  cost  of  this  trip  this  way  cannot  be  definitely 
stated  beyond  Juneau,  because  after  that  point  it  depends 
somewhat  on  the  bargain  made  with  the  Chilkat  Indians, 
who  pack  supplies  through  the  pass,  and  the  length  of 
time  the  overland  part  of  the  journey  requires.  The  cost 
from  Chicago  to  Seattle  is  the  same  as  by  the  other  route, 
of  course,  $51.50  second  class,  and  $10  more  first  class. 
The  steamer  fare  up  to  Juneau  and  on  to  Dyea  is  $42. 
What  it  costs  on  the  overland  trip  each  traveler  determines 
partially  for  himself,  but  the  Indians  who  act  as  guides 
and  pack  supplies  do  not  work  without  big  pay. 

Dawson  City,  Center  of  the  Region. 

Dawson  City,  the  Center  of  the  new  mining  region, 
although  sixty-five  miles  distant  from  the  Klondike,  is  said 
to  be  a  typical  mining  camp,  minus  the  guns.  The  British 
government  enforces  it  laws  in  Dawson,  and  those  laws 
prohibit  the  use  of  firearms,  so,  few  men  carry  guns.  The 
laws  of  the  camp  are  enforced  by  mounted  police,  whose 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


68 


captain  is  a  civil  officer.  Though  there  are  said  to  be  3,000 
people  in  Dawson,  few  houses  have  been  built,  for  the 
principal  reason  that  lumber  is  $100  per  1,000  feet.  The 
general  fear  is,  of  course,  that  there  will  be  great  suffering 
there  this  winter,  and  it  will  bo  increased,  it  is  expected, 
by  the  rush  of  unprepared  prospectors  who  sailed  for  the 
new  fields  immediately  on  learning  what  luck  had  befallen 
those  who  have  but  recently  returned. 

Great  Things  About  Dawson  City. 

"I  am  afraid,"  said  one  of  the  influential  miners  who 
returned  on  a  San  Francisco  boat,  **that  all  the  talk  and 
excitement  will  cause  such  a  stampede  to  the  Northwest 
that  there  will  be  great  suffering  during  next  winter  and 
spring.  Still,  if  people  are  only  ordinarily  careful,  there 
is  no  occasion  for  any  such  thing.  There  are  many  good 
things  that  can  be  said  about  Dawson  City  besides  the  gold 
that  has  made  it  famous.  In  my  own  way  I  want  to  tell 
the  people  of  some  of  these  good  qualities,  as  well  as  the 
business  and  social  conditions,  and  how  nlatters  are  con- 
ducted there. 

How  Claims  are  Sold. 

"Speculation  is  already  the  ruling  idea.  A  purchaser 
inspects  a  claim  that  he  thinks  he  would  like  to  buy.  He 
offers  just  what  he  thinks  it  is  worth.  There  is  no  skirmish- 
ing over  figures,  the  owner  either  accepts  or  refuses,  and 
that  is  the  end  of  it.  With  this  claim  goes  the  season's 
work.  By  that  I  mean  the  great  pile  of  earth  that  may 
contain  thousands  or  may  not  be  worth  the  expense  neces- 
sary to  run  it  through  the  sluice.  That  is  a  chance  one 
must  take,  however,  and  few  have  lost  anything  by  it  this 
season. 

Not  One  Losing  Claim. 

"I  do  not  know  in  the  whole  Klondike  region  a  single 
claim  that  has  not  paid  handsomely,  and  there  are  still 
hundreds  of  claims  that  have  not  been  worked.     In  testing 


frjsk:g 


64 


Guide  to  Klondike  Gold  Fields. 


I 


a  claim  the  prospector  sinks  a  hole,  say  fifteen  feet,  and 
then  tries  a  pan  of  dirt.  If  the  pay  streak  has  been  reached 
he  sets  to  work  in  earnest  to  gather  in  more  of  the  precious 
metal.  This  process  consists  of  building  a  fire  around  the 
entire  circle,  allowing  it  to  burn  through  the  night.  The 
next  morning  there  is  enough  loose  dirt  lying  about  to  keep 
a  squad  of  men  busy  throughout  the  day.  I  have  known 
men  to  hoist  in  a  day  as  many  as  250  buckets  of  soil,  each 
weighing  250  pounds.  This  dirt  is  not  disturbed  until 
spring,  when  it  is  washed  out,  and  when  a  man'  buys  a 
Ciaini  he  buys  the  dump  also,  but  he  takes  his  own  chances 
on  the  latter. 

Not  Out  of  the  World. 

"Many  people  have  an  idea  that  Dawson  City  is  com- 
pletely isolated,  and  can  communicate  with  the  outside 
world  only  once  every  twelve  months.  That  is  a  mistake. 
Circle  City,  only  a  few  miles  away,  has  a  mail  once  each 
month,  and  there  we  have  our  mail  addressed.  It  is  true, 
the  cost  is  p(;etty  high,  a  dollar  a  letter  and  $2  for  a 
paper,  yet  by  that  expenditure  of  money  we  are  able  to 
keep  in  direct  communication  with  our  friends  on  the  out- 
side. In  the  way  of  public  institutions  our  camp  is  at 
present  without  any,  but  by  the  next  season  we  will  have  a 
church,  a  music  hall,  school  house  and  Hospital.  This  last 
institution  will  be  under  the  direct  control  of  the  Sisters  of 
Mercy,  who  have  already  been  stationed  for  a  long  time  at 
Circle  City  and  Forty-Mile  Camp. 

Mines  Not  at  Dawson. 

"The  impression  seems  to  prevail  that  the  mines  are 
close  to  Dawson  City.  That  is  a  mistake.  The  rich  creeks 
are  fifteen  miles  off,  and  it  is  a  day's  journey  to  them. 
The  camp  there  is  as  pretty  a  place  as  one  desires  to  see.  The 
white  tents  and  huts  of  the  miners  are  scattered  along  the 
banks  of  the  creeks  or  built  on  the  mountain  sides,  as  con- 
venience or  fancy  dictated." 


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And  how  la  reach  tbe^  quickly,  comfortably  and 
at  the  least  cxpenso. 

THE 


IS  THE  DIRECT  LINE  fm  ALL  POIRTS  MINE 

Eastern,  Nticldle  Central  and  South^iiatarn 

Stataa  to  the  Pacific  Seaboard,  wliera 

diraet  connactlona  are  lllada  with 

Staai}fij9J||^Linaa  iaadlrig  to  the 

New  El  DdRM)o> 

AGENTS  of  the  Mif>souri  Pacific  will  cheerluliy  funiUh  fult  partfcu- 
Un  concerning  tlie  time  of  trains  and  Tlio   MiMit  Pealrable 
Kouce  to  the  newl>  found  Mecca,  or  ^rite  the  General  Passenger 
Agent, at  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


G.  6.  WMBI, 

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o  rtach  tbefn  quickly,  comfortably  and 
at  the  least  expense. 


RECT  LINE  FftON  ALL  POINTS  IN  JE 

iddle  Central  anil  SoiithviNistorn 
»  the  Pacific  Seaboard,  where 
connectlona  are  ^ade  wItK 
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ng  the  time  of  trains  and  'thm  Mlitt  Desirable 
le  newl>  found  Mecca,  or  ^rite  the  General  Passenger 
is,  Mo. 


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